204 Papa Mike
by drewbi6
Summary: I am what people would describe as an good, honest cop. A detective who holds no bias in relation to what he does and who he does it to. Whether it's human or Pokémon, it's all in the name of the law. The real struggle is being able to continue like that when assailed by forces beyond control, and against a slowly growing realisation. Not everything is as it seems.
1. Illusions

**This is a new Fanfic I have been working on for a short time. There is a little bit of context surrounding it's content. This is a slight AU, but still has heavy elements of the Pokémon anime and games. This region will be built up over the course of the story. I am quite new to Pokémon, so if I do make any lore wise mistakes let me know. Apart from that, enjoy.**

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~The Kalgooma Daily~

POKÉMON LEAGUE OFFICAL JEB LACHLAN FOUND DEAD IN HIS HOME

Yesterday at 4:00pm, a pokémon league official Jeb Lachlan was found dead in his house with deep cuts around his neck. Police have labelled the death a murder and have refused to give any details into who committed it and possible motive. Leading the investigation, Detective Sergeant Hamish Macauley has stated, "we will bring however did this to justice and the public have nothing to fear." Many have questioned if the death is bootleg rare candy or Team Chains related but details are scarce at this time. More will come in the following days.

Illusions

The vehicle jolted as we hit a speed bump, making us leave the seats for a split second. Due to being the detective sergeant to oversee the raid I was in the passenger seat, with plenty of leg and arm room. Contrasting to my partner who was in the back, stuck against the bulk of a fully dressed tactical response group officer. The van took a sharp turn, squishing my partner further against the door of the vehicle. Giving me and excuse to chuckle.

"You comfortable back there Harred?" We both had usual police uniform despite not requiring it, and only brought the standard equipment vest rather than the bulky bullet proof ones the men around us sported. Partly because we weren't the ones to clear the building out but more incase a suspect ran.

"Never been better Macauley…Never been better." She squeezed out, the TRG officer realised her position and moved over, leaning against the other TRG Harred, a twenty-six year old woman with dark brown hair tied into a bun below her navy blue cap. She was a Detective First Class Constable, serving a few years as a P.C before going to detective school. I was her mentor and partner.

"Very good." I looked at the window, seeing the pokémon and people of the Kalgooma region just going by. Totally oblivious to the series of black vans filled with police officers in black uniforms, balaclavas, kevlar helmets, bullet proof vests, assault rifles and SMG's.

"So we're sure our man's here?" The driver of the van spoke up with his usual gruff voice, while being fifty-five he was determined to not become a desk jockey. It was actually a miracle he was in the TRG in the first place. His dirty white hair and walrus moustache showing his age, accompanied by deep face wrinkles. He carefully watched the road with sunken cold blue eyes, with a crooked nose propping up aviator sunglasses. We had both known each other for a long time, while being thirteen years younger, I was a more experienced officer. Sergeant Timothy Gobb was his name. Army veteran turned police officer.

"We have a lot of dirt on the gang as a whole. If we can't nail him for murder we can put him away for something." While the raid was to target the gang we were mostly interested in the leader of the Jets gang.

His name was Oliver Jet, man who was now the prime suspect for the murder of a pokémon league official Jeb Lachlan. Cocoa and I were put on the case, the crime scene was in the home of the victim, in one of the upper class suburbs. The houses with a grand view of the ocean and a pool on display to the world. With floor to ceiling windows and smooth white walls. The wife of the deceased came home to find the front door open and Mr Lachlan dead. His neck being sliced almost to the spinal cord. Blood hadn't congealed and the body was warm meaning it happened recently. A window had been smashed, with the shards going outside. This was the thirty-first murder case Cocoa had been on.

Looking at Mr Lachlan he was near an open suitcase that was in the middle of being packed. Indicating he was heading somewhere fast. He was still wearing his clothing from work, and the keys to his car were still in the ignition. Meaning he rushed home in a hurry, not bothering to shut the front door. He also had recently installed CCTV, very good quality showing the front of his house. This suburb has one of the lowest crime rates in the region. He was paranoid that was for sure. Cocoa pointed out some speckles of blood on the broken window, swabbed for evidence. We also took Mr Lachlan's phone and laptop for anything. A tilted painting gave way to a personal safe that his wife didn't know the combination of. His wife was out with some of her friends at the time, her alibi checked out.

The autopsy said the cut was not a knife, being too thick for a standard blade. No other wounds meant that the murderer was professional and quick. At this stage we knew we were dealing with an experienced killer. From the blood smeared across the floor the body was dragged for three metres. Indicating the body was going to be removed, most likely for disposal. Forensics at the pokémon lab identified the blood on the window to be a pokémon's, a zoroark to be exact. After reviewing the CCTV footage we watched as Mr Lachlan pretty much flew out of his car and barged his way into his house. A good thing about expensive security cameras is that they are high quality. After a few minutes Mr Lachlan's wife walk up the driveway and entered the home. A few minutes later Mr Lachlan's wife walked up the driveway again. After reviewing the pokédex entry on zoroarks we found how zoroarks could make themselves look like any human or pokémon they wished.

We had a murderer, but we now need a motive and an owner of the Pokémon itself. The cyber squad got onto the victims phone and computer with ease. While I requested access to Mr Lachlan's office at the nearby gym. This place was not the usual gym battle types but where people could fight each other and practice moves. All of which were owned by the pokémon league. We entered the offices, search warrant in hand and ziplock bags at the ready. We requested for all documents, and his office computer, and sent them back to the station. We also asked for the records of any registered zoroarks and owners. But this one was unlikely to be registered if it was used for a hit. Nothing came up.

Mr Lachlan's personal laptop came up with several e-mails addressed to usual work contacts, but the cyber team did recover some deleted more suspicious messages. Addressed from anonymous sources, all talking about 'shipments'. Bootleg rare candy had become an epidemic, being cheaper and easier to produce that regular rare candy. A good chemist could make the two physically identical. However it was the effects that made them stand out, while normal rare candy would do the usual level ups. Bootleg came with side effects.

Side effects that made pokémon physiologically and psychologically unstable, unpredictable and destroyed their bodies internally and externally. Horrible stuff to handle but even worse to ingest. But in the eyes of a new and naive trainer, it was like an Arceus send.

Receiving this, we looked through Mr Lachlan's internet history which featured airplane ticket prices and foreign housing. Along with job offers, with the packed suitcase it indicating he was planning on leaving the region. His bank account also had some strange patterns, he had been depositing cash on top of his salary, going for several months now. We opened up his personal safe to find more documents, after it took a machoke rip it open. Inside we found another phone, and some papers, ones pointing towards interactions with the Jets gang.

The hidden phone's message bank found several conversations with the Jets involving the distribution of bootleg rare candy at the gym. However it appears that Lachlan got increasingly paranoid and skittish, his wife said he would stay up all night. That the CCTV was a new, fitting with the extra payment dates. We also got a number of the orders and shipments. One raid later at a self storage compound we found nearly a hundred pokéballs filled with bootleg rare candy. I'm surprised Dominique didn't find this before me. We also had one of the gang members. Even if he didn't speak was enough proof to get a search warrant. However after some interrogation he let slip the boss had a zoroark with him. Enough for an arrest warrant.

So in summary, Mr Lachlan was being paid off to keep a blind eye to bootleg rare candy being sold at his gym. However began to be paranoid and started to try and leave the country. The Jets must have caught on and feared he would speak out. So Oliver Jet sends his zoroark to bump him off before he can leave and spill the info. However before the pokémon could dispose of the body it heard his wife turn into the drive way and quickly leapt out the window cutting itself on the glass. The entire investigation took the span of seven days, now to end it.

By now we had entered a less desirable suburb, chicken wire front fences, patchy dry grass lawns adorned with broken windows and peeling wall paint on rotting buildings. The place we were going to raid was the gang's clubhouse, two storeys high that would look like a pub to the street. Most likely had a lab, some firearms and pokémon. Stakeouts showed it had a back door connecting to an alleyway.

"Gobb, throw us out here." I pointed to a road that leads to an alley behind the clubhouse.

"Will do." The van slowed but didn't stop, Cocoa and I jumped out and with three TRG members, two of them holding a battering ram. Gobb gave a quick salute before continuing with the other black vehicles to the clubhouse. As soon as our feet hit the ground we ran for the alley.

"We're near the location, breaching in ten, over." Gobb spoke through his radio, raids were fast and precise, time wasted was time evidence could be destroyed.

"Understood, we're in position, out." I responded back into the radio on my vest, I knelt behind a rubbish bin, while Cocoa got behind a dumpster. Two TRG members readied the ram while the third took a stun grenade off his belt.

"Breaching in five." I looked at Cocoa's face, she was heavily sweating and had wide eyes staring at the back door. While she had served several years as an officer she was still relatively new to being in action. Doesn't mean she hasn't, she had apprehended fleeing criminals.

"You'll be fine Cocoa…Remember, centre mass, only shoot when necessary and importantly have fun." She removed her pistol from its holster and offed the safety, before aiming it at the door. I know they give us pepper spray, tasers and batons but in a raid it was always firearms.

"Breaching in four!"

"I know sergeant." She looked back at me, I chuckled a bit looking at her glaring behind her sunglasses.

"Breaching in three!"

"Just consider that we are dealing with gangers and probably their pokémon." Methods for dealing with pokémon are different to humans. An officer could actually shoot a pokémon and because many are living weapons easily prove that they felt their life was threatened. While it may garner some bad attention from rights groups, I've seen what happens when a pokémon is underestimated.

"Breaching in two!"

"You'll be fine, we will grab a coffee after as a celebration for your first raid. I'll pay." We took aim at the door, the two TRG officers readying the rams momentum. While the third removed the pin from his grenade. The reason we didn't have any pokémon ourselves was for the simple reason. It was easier to shoot them then battle them into fainting.

"Breaching in one!"

"Thank you sergeant." The ram impacted with the wood, with the lock buckling and splintering against the door. The officers did it again. Cracking the wood even further and sending splinters inwards. Another hit did the job. The door and lock disconnecting, flying open. The stun grenade went in. Letting off a bang and blinding light as it exploded.

"GO GO GO!" The TRG officers rushed in with weapons drawn in a flurry of the words 'freeze' and 'on the ground now'. Two shots were fired, and the radio was buzzing with events happening in the raid.

"SUSPECT IN CUSTODY!"

"ROOM CLEAR!"

"ILLEGAL WEAPON IDENTIFIED!"

"SHIT!" As those words rang out as a roar of 'CHAR!' could be heard followed by a flash of fires light from the windows. It ended when a burst of gunfire echoed.

"PAPA MIKE IS DOWN!" One reason to bring a pokémon was to stop the effects other pokémon caused. In this case I'm hoping the building doesn't catch fire.

"SUSPECT HAS FLED UPSTAIRS!" Over the other radio messages this one was one I took notice of. One of the upstairs windows slid open and a person came into view, his eyes locking onto me. While it was possible to get down without breaking his legs it would open him up to an easy arrest.

"YOU ARE UNDER ARREST! DO NOT MOVE!" I ordered training my pistol on him, Cocoa copied me walking up beside me. I gestured her to get on the other side of the window. Instead the suspect disappeared back inside, I went for my radio then saw a small ball fly out the window. As soon as it landed it burst into a bright light and I heard a shriek of fear from Cocoa. When my vision returned I was met with a zoroark holding its claws at Cocoa's neck, deviously grinning at me.

"YOU DO ANYTHING FUCKING STUPID AND SHE DIES!" The voice came from the suspect. He slowly climbed down over the ledge and dropped to the floor. He was tall with a pudgy build in his early forties. He had a large unkempt beard and pony tail wearing blue jeans and a black singlet showing off his tattoos and muscles. It was Oliver Jet. Still keeping my gun on the zoroark I kept an eye on him as he backed away from the scene with a grin on his face. But I could tell from those eyes he was scared. Cocoa stayed still and calm, only moving in light breaths. The zoroark forced her to step forward, keeping its claws digging into her neck. I was tempted to grab my radio. But I knew the consequences.

"Well, we'll be off officers…bye bye." Jett said as he bolted. Suddenly the pokémon shoved Cocoa, losing her balance she fell forward. I managed to grab her under the arms before she connected with the ground. Those few seconds gave Oliver and his pet a head start.

"Gobb this is Macauley, we're in a 226 on foot. Suspect is Oliver and his zoroark. Requesting backup over." I barked into my radio as we both scrambled to our feet and started to chase after the two offenders. Their crimes now including resisting arrest and threatening a public servant.

"Keep an eye on them, backup will be with you soon over." We left the alleyway, both turning right onto the street. That's when we looked to see an Oliver heading in different directions, one being a deadly pokémon the other being a potentially armed and dangerous criminal.

"I'll take the one on the right." Cocoa said as she made off in that direction, leaving me with the other could be pokémon/Oliver.

He took a left turn, leaping over a backyard fence with the grace of a snorlax. I was gaining ground following him as we crossed yards. Stunning a few people and leaving several pokémon howling at us both. I met him at a fence latching onto him by his arm to attempt twist it behind his back before pushing him to the ground. Instead I was met with his full body weight as he used his feet to propel himself on me. We both toppled over in a heap with his heavy frame keeping me down. Winding me in the process. After recovering he hauled himself over the fence. With air back in my lungs I was at it again.

For a man who didn't look very fit Oliver could somehow move like a Liepard in the open. A shopping centre came into view. He was going to try hide in the crowd. Hard for a man like him, that is unless I'm chasing the zoroark using illusion. After leaping over a hedge we were in the car park, I was right behind him. If I took a leap now I could probably have him on the ground. If I missed I would be back to square one. I was going for it when a car suddenly cut me off. I didn't take notice of the driver trying to apologise. But it did give Oliver a few seconds of time. Which he used to get out of sight and into the building.

As I entered the sliding double doors, I looked around knowing I had lost him. It was the food court, the smells of various cuisines wafting through the air and chattering of people and their pokémon. If it was Oliver I was after it wouldn't be too hard but if it was the zoroark I might as well be finding a needle in a haystack. Exempt the needle can change its shape to look like hay, and could move amongst the stack. I wiped my forehead of sweat and changed strategies, I reached for my radio.

"Harred I've lost mine, how's yours?" I turned back to the door, moving past more passersby as I went back into the cool breeze of the world. Gaining a few looks for the sweat pooling under my armpits.

"Still on him sergeant, he's making his way towards Averend Park." She was breathing heavily in between syllables, I turned in the direction of the park. I knew this area well, as it was a common place for officers to visit.

I reentered the centre, using it to cut across to the park. I got the look a police officer would get if they were running urgently with sweat pouring down their face. Which was one of questioning, both from people and pokémon. At least this place had decent air-conditioning. I exited the sliding double doors at another entrance and proceeded to weave through another car park. I could see the park, which made me run faster hoping to catch Oliver by the time he got there. The park was busy as it was a weekend and the type of day families would be out having picnics and enjoying the nice weather. Sun shining, pidgeys singing. I slowed to a jog as I kept my eyes darting from person to person. As I slowed to a fast walk a young man came up to me.

"Uh, officer my phone has been stolen I-." I proceeded to jog away while ignoring him, one of the downsides of wearing a uniform is everyone knows you're a cop. Cocoa and I could have gone to this raid without them I however chose to. Mostly because it makes us more identifiable. Also I liked to wear my old uniform occasionally. I kept going until I was in the middle of the park.

"Cocoa what entrance is he…" Suddenly everyone's head flinched to the sound of two loud popping noises. I knew were gunshots. I darted off in the direction of the rubbernecking citizens until I found the scene.

Cocoa had her pistol drawn, visibly shaking. Meanwhile Oliver was belly up with blood across his chest, leaking from bullet wounds, unmoving. In his hand was a knife. I flicked my radio on.

"Gobb this is Macauley suspect is down. Request immediate backup…and a coroner." Everyone's eyes were wide and either staring with mouths open or turning away in disgust. One woman even fainted. Cocoa stood still, with her trembling becoming more violent. This was the first time she had ever killed someone. Without asking I picked up a nearby picnic blanket and draped it over the body.

"Police business, everyone remain calm and be on your way." I ordered to deaf eyes. I then walked up to Cocoa, who was still aiming at the corpse, I carefully pushed the gun down so it was pointing to the grass. I softened my voice.

"Hey…hey…you did your job alright." I spoke to her calmly, she eventually turned her head from the corpse and looked at me in the eyes. She holstered her pistol still shaking, thumbing on the safety. I then patted her on the back. She eventually looked around, the colour in her face slowly returning.

"She...she saved our boy." I looked left to see a family composed of a father, mother, young boy and growlithe. I looked at Oliver to see the knife in his hand, poking out from the blanket. The fact the boy had his hand against his neck I could figure out what happened. Oliver must have realised Cocoa was catching up to him and taken the boy hostage. Cocoa then did as police training taught her in the event of a life being threatened. Which was to aim for the centre mass and pull the trigger.

"I was just doing my job." She muttered to the family, we stood by the body for a while getting a lot of attention by the locals. I got the name and address of the family incase we needed witness's. I also asked around for anyone willing to give testimonies later. Finally the coroner van entered the park with some TRG officers and Sergeant Gobb.

"We going to get lip from Arnes for this mate?" Gobb asked as he stood next to me looking down at the corpse still covered by the picnic blanket.

"Maybe, I think we have enough witness's. She did well Gobb, I will have a commendation sent to her…how'd the rest of the raid go?" I asked him, he smiled and turned to me, pulling up his sleeve to reveal shallow gashes across his left arm.

"Another one to add to the collection. Several shots fired, all eight suspects apprehended, found lots of illegal drugs and pokéballs full of probably trafficked pokémon. An R candy lab, along with several kilos of the stuff and ingredients. Some injuries, one crook was shot in the leg. An officer got hit by a squirtle, two got singed by a charmeleon and a bublbasaur scratched me with its vines. Quite a good haul." 'R candy' was another name for bootleg rare candy, calling it 'risk candy'. I noticed Cocoa was sitting in a park bench nearby. Her face towards the ground and a shock blanket draped over her. I went and stood in front of her. She looked up at me, without her sunglasses she showed off her sparkling eyes. She smiled at me.

"So how about we get that coffee?" She asked in her normal active voice, by now the body had been cleared and bullet casing picked up as evidence. This place would count as a crime scene, and we would be contacted later for an inquiry.

We had to go back to the station to fill out police paperwork, give reports and wrap up the case including the escape of the zoroark. Seeing it was a domesticated pokémon it was the responsibility of the handler. Seeing Cocoa dispatched of the owner, the zoroark counted as a wild pokémon, no major issue, a report was sent to the KSPPC. After several hours we took a police car to get coffee, not bothering to change out of uniform. Car windows down, fresh air was something good to have after a tense situation. This might be the only time she kills someone, most officers go their entire career without having to be apart of a coroners inquiry. Sergeant Gobb I think hasn't even fired his gun in the field. I had a killed two people in my lifetime, however my number for ending pokémon lives was higher. I had reasons, biggest being you don't know what a pocket monster is going to do with its body. One moment you could be fine, in a matter of seconds you could be on fire.

I went to pay for a parking ticket, even as police we were still were subjected to traffic laws. Giving Cocoa enough cash and telling her to get my order of a double shot latte as I was sliding coin after coin into the slot on the ticket machine.

"OFFICER…OFFICER!" A short old woman waddled towards me with a shaky voice and loosely swinging handbag.

"I was walking past an alley and I heard a voice…I think there's a pokémon stuck behind a dumpster." She pointed to an alley down the road, there was something off about her emotions. Along with the fact she was already tugging at my arm.

"Ma'am calm down, show us the alley." I gestured her to lead the way.

I had a gut feeling that this old lady wasn't who she was trying to be. As in I thought I was right next to the Oliver's zoroark. The reason I didn't want to suspect her in front of everyone is because an officer arresting an old woman for bothering him wouldn't hold up the reputation of the force. Also he/she would definitly make a scene for everyone to pull out their phones and film the entire event. And by the time I'm back at the station I would have a reputation as the cop who arrested an old woman.

We went out of sight of the road, I kept a close eye on her as she then stopped and pointed at a nearby dumpster. As I approached I still watched her, with my hand slowly and discreetly moving closer to my holstered pistol. As I got closer I could hear a noise, a muffled voice repeating the same word. Whimpering and blubbering as if it was crying. As I went to look behind the dumpster, with my hand now on the pistol grip I caught sight of a strange shadow. A large bushy shape moving behind the woman's body.

Rapidly pulling the gun from its holster I whipped around point it at the transforming pokémon. I was met with a furry claw scratching at my arm loosening my grip on the pistol. Followed by a set of claws coming directly towards my chest. Instincts kicking in. I sidestepped the swing and pulled the baton from my belt. Extending it and readying it for action. The zoroark has fully revealed itself growling in rage. It came at me again. I backed away trying to block the flurry of swipes. The zoroark's eyes glowed a light blue and was surrounded by a crimson aura.

"COCOA! THIS IS MACAULEY, NEED…" I was cut off as a dark shock wave hit me making my head spin. Without coordination I began flaying my baton around trying to keep the creature back. I was brought out of daze when a sharp pain went across my forehead. Red poured down my face, curtaining my eyes in my own blood. I could only see red as I desperately tried to hold the wound shut.

I kept on swinging hoping the message had gotten through to Cocoa. Something I doubted by the second. My induced blindness got the better of me as I toppled over. Hitting the ground feeling the rough concrete grate my skin. Through the wall of blood I could see the silhouette of the zoroark coming down on me. I threw my boot towards the pokémon trying to keep it off. I felt a sharp pain race up my leg making me emit a howl of pain. It was around this moment I could feel consciousness leaving me. Through my dulling senses I could hear a voice and several gunshots ring out, I could then hear the buzzing of a radio. Followed by a distressed feminine voice.

"THIS IS DETECTIVE FIRST CLASS CONSTABLE HARRED! OFFICER DOWN! NEED AN AMBULANCE NOW!…"


	2. Back on the Job

~The Kalgooma Daily~

MURDER CASE OF JEBB LACHLAN ENDS WITH MURDERER DEAD

After a week long investigation, police conducted a raid on a gang hideout in the South of Kalgooma City in the search for gang leader Oliver Jet. The main suspect in the murder of Pokémon League Official Jeb Lachlan. During the raid he ran from the property, with two police detectives giving chase on foot. The suspect used his zoroark to confuse the detectives, but they still kept up. The pursuit ended in Averend Park with Jet being shot and killed when he threatened a small boy. The detective in question is to remain unanimous for his or her own safety.

Later in the day the other detective involved in the chase was attacked and severely wounded by Jet's pokémon. He was quickly rushed to hospital in critical condition and now remains in a stable condition. The pokémon in question is now at large. Police urge anyone with information to call the Kalgooma Society for the Prevention of Pokémon Cruelty or crime watch.

Back on the Job

I remember the time I woke up in the Intensive Care ward, lying on a bleached white hospital bed. Several machines were hooked into me and I couldn't feel anything from my waist down. My brain and eyes felt like they were submerged in river water. I couldn't do much with the amount of drugs swirling around my system. My arms felt like noodles as I went for the help button, and took a good while to push it. My fingers behaving like leaves in the wind. Meanwhile the noxious smell of the sterile room didn't help to settle me. It made me want to vomit. A moment later an adorable small pink and creamed coloured bipedal pokémon stuck its head in the doorway. The little nurse cap on its head made it look even cuter. At the time however it was just a blurry outline. It locked eyes at me and proceeded to run off down the corridor. A few seconds later it came back dragging what appeared to be a nurse by his scrubs.

"Ok Audino I'm coming…Oh Mr Macauley I see you are awake. That's good to know." I just looked at him, I didn't like bedside manner stuff because it was always just going to lead up to disappointment. This was a hospital not a hotel. I just looked at him feeling too weak to say anything.

"Ok well the paramedics found you in bad shape. A major artery was opened and you would have bled out quickly. Your partner saved your life back then by slowing the blood loss, heh. So after you were rushed here we began surgery on your leg, arm and head. The gashes on your forehead and arm aren't very deep and should heal fine. Scaring won't even be that visible. However the claws of the pokémon did destroy some major…" I held my hand up to stop him, when I spoke my voice was croaky and dry. Like I was talking with mouth full of sand.

"Get…to *cough* point."

"Well, if you wish…the surgery didn't undo most of the muscle and bone damage. Your right knee was severely damaged. It will probably hurt to put any form of pressure on your right leg or move it at all…It is permanent." I didn't know what to think at that moment.

I looked away from him, knowing that it would mean I wouldn't be able to run again. But that wasn't the part I was most worried about. It was the fact that my police career might be over. That I won't be able to work on another case. That my dream job might be cut short. The thought made me want to cry.

"Audino?" The little pokémon was near by bedside, looking at me with a questioning but comforting face. It had one of what appeared to be antenna of sorts running across my body. It had a smile that would have made my heart warm if I wasn't full of drugs and anguish.

"I'm fine…for now." When they both left I didn't move, not blubbering, no crying noises but I could feel the tears running down my cheeks. I thought years of solving murders, apprehending criminals, taking part in raids and helping the community would be over. A job I had held for a little over twenty years.

I spent several weeks in hospital, in that time I was slowly rehabilitated with walking, having both a leg brace and a crutches. I eventually managed to get it down to a single crutch then a walking stick. All of it hurt like I knife would pierce my leg for every bit of weight. During this whole process my family visited me. Most calling me brave and praising me for not giving up. If I wanted to commit suicide I could do so easily, I have a pistol in my bedside drawer. I've made a lot of enemies and working against criminals leads to knowing how to get what they have. The only problem was that my gun was in my flat. The current course of action was just to deal with the pain.

Why did I not get Cocoa to come with me? I wandered down an alleyway with a dangerous pokémon, alone. But what if I said no to the pokémon? The zoroark could have just attacked me on sight. Gobb visited and we talked for a bit, saying how he knew nothing of what the force was doing about me. I was never contacted by the department, and all attempts to contact Cocoa were met with nothing. When I could walk with only the aid of a cane I was sent home to my flat with a bottle of pain killers and leg brace. I checked and was satisfied that my mum didn't find my pistol when cleaning up my flat.

When I did get contacted I was told I was being examined if I should be let go or not. This wasn't relieving but it wasn't depressing. Time at home was alien to me. I spent most of my days eating or watching television. Sometimes I would just toy around with the gun in my hand, feeling it in my palm. Gobb also paid me a visit every so often. I got the lock on my door bolstered. I was delivered food or had it ordered. Despite the fact I liked to cook I had no motivation to. I didn't leave very often and I most often walked around in my underpants, dressing gown and leg brace.

It was a drug imbedded hell.

I put on a bit of weight, it didn't help I didn't exercise that much. On top of that the painkillers made me wonder if this is what snorlax felt. The only benefit I got was the free time I had to look over some old cases. Also to see any updates on Grums Thicket. I was disappointed that nothing came up.

I finished my stretches I was ordered to by my general practitioner, trying to get some more mobility. I was lounging across my couch using my coffee table as a footrest, while in my pyjamas I was watching a news program. A debate was going on between a Pokémon league spokesperson and a woman who was in support of pokémon restriction.

"Pokémon are still safe, we have had no murders relating to registered pokémon in Kalgooma this half-year. The only deaths relating to pokémon are wild ones, which we're all taught to keep away from. Or go at your own risk." The pokémon league member debated, wearing a red cap with the pokéball logo on it symbolising his allegiance. Contrasting to his black suit and red and white tie.

"Look at the murder of Jebb Lachlan, the pokémon was confirmed to be domesticated. We don't let a ten-year old drink, smoke or drive a car. Yet this society is more than happy to give a ten-year old something that is like a living gun. However a gun is safer than a pokémon because a gun doesn't fire off on its own and can't aim itself." The woman said with fire in her voice, I don't know why I was watching this, I had no interest in the debates. Also the remote was out of reach. I began using my cane to reel in the bopper.

"Domestic pokémon do not commit murders, the people who order them do. We should focus on the people who try to use pokémon for illegal reason. Other than the…" I flicked off the television and went to stand up, I waddled myself to the balcony just to get some fresh air. My flat did get a decent view of Kalgooma. Seeing to the city's edge and seeing the rugged wilderness and mountains. Ruler's Park was in the distance, with a few skyscrapers standing out of the skyline. The city was wide and heavily spread out, still only being a pinhead on the Kalgooma map. In reality those debates went nowhere, the pokémon league was very efficient at getting its way. Lobbying politicians, competitive tournaments, gyms and targeted advertisement to children to stay in business. I stopped admiring the view when I heard the phone ring. I turned and limped back. I felt the jarring realisation that my cane got stuck in the door and I tumbled forward. Pain rippled up my leg, wrenching at the stitches and nerves. Hissing and grumbling to myself I tried to stand, only to meet the floor again. I waited out for the message bank to play.

"Hello Sergeant Macauley this is Inspector Arnes." As soon as I heard the stern feminine sounding tone of my boss I stopped struggling with gravity and listened closely.

"So sorry we haven't gotten to you in a while. You're not fired and this has not been deducted from your sick days. I'm ringing to say that we need you back." Leaving the cane I crawled to the phone quickly, avoiding the spilled food in my way. Food I found a pain to clean up due to getting low to the ground. Eventually pulling myself up to the kitchen counter. I then swiped the phone from the hook. Sitting on the floor as I answered her.

"Good morning ma'am" I jovially spoke into the phone, more like if I was addressing a long-lost friend than a superior.

"Oh good I thought you were…never mind. As I was saying we need you back on the force…Is that ok with you are do you need a few m…?"

"Ma'am when can I come back?" I knew it was childish to be this enthusiastic but I couldn't hold in the thought of being back. I was met with silence on the other end, followed by paper rustling.

"Uh…tomorrow I can send someone to come collect y…" I unprofessionally cut her off.

"Sounds good, see you tomorrow ma'am." I hung up, ecstatic at the knowledge I had not been fired and went about my day as usual, starting with gravity reminding me I left my cane in the door.

The following day I moved about with enthusiasm I hadn't felt since the raid on the Jet's gang hideout. Straight out of bed into my stretching routine. Chugging down the first coffee of the day, four teaspoons of instant activity. Having breakfast that wasn't just cereal and semi-skim milk. Warm scrambled eggs with some salt and pepper. A refreshing shower, something I relented to do from the inconvenience of it and pain it caused. I shaved off the scraggly mass of facial hair I had accumulated since the hospital. I considered leaving the moustache. Everyone would just say I was copying Gobb's look. Dressed myself with great difficulty into proper clothing. My usual suit pants, white button up shirt and blue tie. It was too hot to take my blazer. Strapped on my leg brace. Placed my badge and painkillers in my pocket. Placed on my thick framed glasses (I wore contacts for more physical events i.e. raids) and limped to the front door. My flat was quite messy, I hadn't been in the best shape to clean up after all. My mother had been over several times, bringing me home cooked food and helping with cleaning and laundry. I felt embarrassed seeing I'm a grown man who now needs help from others. Especially my seventy-one year old mum. What would dad think of me now? My hair was greying but I'm only forty-two. Before I left I reached for my hat on the coat hanger. A grey fedora my late father gifted me when I graduated detective school. Even if it was just a joke gift I still wore it. Good thing he got a real detective fedora with a leather band and wide brim. Not a hipster/dork trilby that I would give to charity straight away. I wore the fedora when I went outside and not in uniform. After taking the elevator down I took a seat out the front of the block with my cane in hand. I preferred to be early, I unconsciously tapped my cane on the ground impatiently and kept eyes pealed. I sprang up as a car turned in stopped in front of me, the window rolled down to reveal the ageing moustachioed face of Gobb.

"How's the leg?" After getting one foot in at a time I put my cane between my legs before slamming the door. Gobb was in his usual civilian clothing, cargo shorts and a T-shirt.

"Sore when I lean on it." We drove in silence, Gobb going a little under the speed limit allowed him, patiently and carefully watching the road. I could see his marriage had held up with his wedding ring still around his finger, something that surprised me.

"You on drugs? You don't seem like your average self." I suddenly realised I must have had a smile on the entire time, he was facing away from me.

"Painkillers…And I've been cooped up in my flat for a while, I wanted to get back on duty…How are you then?" As I said this I observed that there was a pokéball in the left cup holder of the car.

"Well, R candy is still a thing, almost every call I get now has something to do with it. Arrested a thirteen year old the other day for possessing it. Recruitment drives for the force have been going on. And everyone has been missing you…And I'm still old." Gobb braked at a set of traffic lights, letting a few people and pokémon pass.

"You thinking of retiring soon?" When the light turned green we turned the corner onto a busy street. Gobb grimaced slightly. He took a glance at me.

"Ha…and do what?" His voice was bitter, he always resented the thought of retirement, even if that reality was becoming more real by the day. His hair wasn't getting any less white.

"Security Guard?"

"I'm not going back to that crap."

"Teacher at the academy?"

"No."

"Nightclub Bouncer? I'm sure your military training could…"

"Do I look like the person who could be a bouncer?" He cut me off and stared at me with the eyes that had sunk far into his head. While many could see to a lack of sleep, it was more. His eyes were a reflection of what he had witnessed and experienced. Unspoken horrors that he had been through in both in his secretive military service and police work. I had seen some bad things in my time, being a longer serving officer than him. But I guessed what he had seen, heard, smelt, felt and tasted was something that was far worse. But I always had to ask myself if that was true after Grums Thicket? Gobb never spoke of his military career. Always brushing off questions about it and being vague when he did answer. But it was understandable; I never talked about my police career to anyone exempt fellow colleagues.

"Yes." I said, Gobb's build was quite average, not beefy or big enough as the usual bouncer. However the deep wrinkles on his face and his permanent piercing eyes made him very intimidating. His thick moustache also gave him an extra layer of manliness.

"Still no…anyway they usually they get pokémon to fulfill that job…You want a coffee before work?" We were passing a couple of cafes, the ones that sell decent food mostly eaten by hipsters. The food at the station was mostly cheap, processed, packaged crap. We did have a pod espresso machine, something I organised with crowd funding of fellow officers.

"Yeah." After a quick dash into a coffee shop we were back on the road, I had my hot latte in hand while Gobb grabbed a long black. An acquired taste he had got from hours of being fuelled by non-milked coffee, most likely from his military service. Also he gained a moustache when he drunk coffee with frothy milk on the top.

"Who owns the pokéball?" I could tell it wasn't his; he didn't show much interest in owning a pocket monster himself.

"My youngest daughter's going out on holiday with some friends. Wanted me to look after her eevee. She felt guilty for leaving it at a daycare, I volunteered to take him in." We could both see the station up ahead, my internal laughter lead to an external chuckle.

"Can you handle it?" I laughed intentionally imagining tough old Gobb, having to look after a small, cute, little pokémon like an eevee.

"If I can handle urban pacification I can handle a little brown fur ball…Anyway I've had pet pokémon before, he shouldn't be that hard. I was thinking of just leaving him at the pen but he used his baby-doll eyes and it was super effective. My daughter named him Elvis." The station had an area dedicated to pokémon. We all complained it was more modernised than the human part of the station. I'm still using a desktop coloured cream-white.

We pulled into the car park of the station, it was a five-story building with a big sign out the front that read 'Kalgooma Police Headquarters'. After going into the parking lot we went through the large sliding glass double doors. As we stood side by side in the elevator I could see a sly grin forming on Gobb's face. Easy to notice when his moustache curled upwards.

"What?" I asked. He rubbed his face as if trying to stop himself from bursting into laughter; eventually he got it down to a half-smile.

"Nothing." He spitted out, trying not to laugh while doing so. As we exited the elevator we went to the major crime squad offices. Place where I worked. I didn't know why he followed me like this. He sped ahead of me and entered the room first. I hobbled after him, trying and failing to keep up.

It was quiet, no clattering of computer keyboards or chattering of detectives. That is when the thundering echoes of claps rose up from the desks with officers and fellow detectives. The whole feeling of happiness and pride washed over me, knowing that I hadn't been forgotten about. There was a volley of greeting and congratulations for recovering. I held my cane up to the response of whistles and cheers. In reality I felt like a child who gets congratulated for his bravery due to a wound he got while playing roughly. I didn't want this attention for my injury, I was just hoping to get back into the swing of things. After being showered with greetings and thrown handshakes it was back to normal. Gobb disappeared back down to the other patrol officers while I made my way to my cubicle. Just as disorganised the last time I saw it. I referred to it as 'rugged organisation' everything is where it is left, thus easy to find. I did notice the out of place note on the desk.

'Meet me in my office' The handwriting I recognised as Inspector Arnes, it was off to see her. Knocking on the door three times before entering.

Her office was shut off from the rest of the station, she looked up at me from her paperwork. Showing her early fifties slim face. Her white cap was tilting to the right and her tie was loose around her neck. She also had on her four service ribbons on. There was a wafting smell of coffee coming from her being.

"Take a seat Sergeant." I manoeuvred my way over a suitcase on the floor and sat opposite her. She moved her blonde hair out of her face, showing her green eyes. Her eye bags signalled she had been up for a while.

"Now Hamish, how's the leg?" She spoke normally despite her eyes being glued to the paper work in front of her, with her pen hand staying active.

"Hurts to lean on it…Apart from that I'm fine." I tried to stay away from the limp topic, she suddenly swore as she misspelled a word. Angrily crossing it out, afterwards going back to weariness.

"Good, I just heard the office is happy to have you back." She slid the paper to her right, and took another from the mountain to her left. Her voice became stern. Taking here eyes of the paper work and aiming them at my own.

"I'm going to say this now Macauley, you are on thin ice. That leg officially makes you unable to perform a lot of police duties. If you were anything less than a sergeant I would just chuck you a pension and send you on your way." Her monotone voice didn't change as she focused her weary eyes on me. She continued.

"But that doesn't matter, the good thing is you are back on…you have been assigned a new partner." This was hardly surprising, but I was questioning 'new partner'. She focused back on her paperwork.

"Quick question ma'am but, where is Cocoa Harred?" She stopped her scribbling and looked up at me again, fixing her cap as she did so.

"After the attack by that pokémon she wanted to be moved in fear of her life. She probably took a lot of steps to hide. I helped her get a spot somewhere out in the country." I wanted Cocoa for one reason and that is because she knew me before my leg injury. I'm guessing when most new detectives look at me they just see a hobbling fat ageing man.

"I see ma'am." After that she stood up and went over to a filing cabinet, she shifted through the files followed by grumbling to herself and going through some papers on her desk. She spoke, stealing glances at me occasionally.

"In all honesty we need all officers on deck. The R candy epidemic isn't slowing no matter the raids, programs and advertisements. Summer holidays means lots of kids with free time on their hands to do stuff with their pokémon. Which has many of our blue boys on the street trying to keep battles off the road and stopping their monsters from running amuck. The pokéfuckers have also been busy in helping find mills and dens for the TRG to play in. And That's only the tip of the iceberg, we're being flooded with tourists from colder regions, as usual in summer. The biggest thing is that two years from now Kalgooma is hosting the international pokémon championship tournaments…Fucking Mayor's a bastard. We don't have the numbers." She annoyingly breathed out the last sentence before she found what she was looking for. She tossed a file in front of me. I opened it up to a picture of an academy portrait of young man. Early to mid twenties, neatly combed black hair, brown eyes and a handsome clean-shaven face. Pokéfuckers was a name KPOL had given the members of the Kalgooma Society for the Prevention of Pokémon Cruelty. Referred to as the KSPPC. They received that name after a scandal that rocked them several years ago.

"Just graduated detective school, that's his profile. I told him to wait for you in the locker room." I quickly brushed over his profile. Detective Constable Joseph Bear, age 27, joined the force at age 24. Graduated university with a degree in politics. Was apart of the TRG, has some qualifications in martial arts. Has never been part of a coroner's inquiry, has a good sprint record and took a course in advanced driving. Has received commendations for his abilities to physically subdue people and pokémon. However has been wounded multiple times, and has been given warnings for two counts of alleged excessive force. Has and still works along pokémon in the field.

"You are dismissed." I stood up and stumbled out of her office, hurling the file on top of my desk on the way to the locker room. There were a lot of memories there, coming back and recounting stories with officers either going home or going to patrol. Joking and bantering to each other, about daily occurrences and inside jokes and friendly roasts. When I walked into that humid room it was empty, I limped to my locker and pulled it open. I took out my standard equipment belt, having to adjust it for my new waste line. I placed my pistol in its holster. Getting a nostalgic feel as I moved it around. Now with my cane I was going be one-handed shooting from now on. However I placed my belt back seeing I probably won't be need it, only taking my notebook, pokédex and radio. I saw a note nearby, placed in the open.

'Got bored at the gym'

Handwriting was unrecognised and had several droplets of water, meaning he probably got out of the shower and wrote this. Either that or he drools a lot. I shuffled my way to the gym, while not being fully up to date it was quite average. Had what could be found at any commercial gym. It even had an area for pokémon battles. Staggering around for a few seconds, I saw Bear. He was in the padded arena sparing with a blue and cream coloured dog like bipedal pokémon with a spike in its chest. Bear was wearing a judogi. I took out my pokédex and pointed it at to the blue canine.

"Lucario, the Aura pok…" I closed it and placed it back on my belt, I saw that Bear had left his stuff on a bench nearby. I sat down and went through his belongings, removing his gun, radio, notebook and pokéball from said belt. Hiding it in my pockets, if he notices it's gone then at least I know he's not blind. I watched as Bear and the lucario countered and struck at each other. Backing off and retaliating taking swing after swing, sweat building up on Bear's forehead. While the lucario was panting, this went on for some time. Realising I wasn't going to get his attention I decided to intervene.

"Constable Joseph Bear what's the most important part of a police officers body?" I waddled towards him entering the arena. He broke his concentration and looked over at me.

"Wha…" His lucario punched him in the belly causing him to double over in pain, I helped the fall by tripping him with my cane. The lucario looked at me with a threatening glare. I continued my berating at the junior detective.

"His voice. What's the most important piece of an officer's equipment?" He looked up as I stood over him, I slid out his radio and dropped it onto his head.

"That. What's the most important part of a detectives body?" He was stunned, his pokémon didn't act and my voice was slowly rising.

"His brain. What is the most important piece of equipment for a detective?" I looked to see his lucario watching the two of us. On closer inspection I could notice the badly healed scar running across the forehead and snout of the blue jackal creature. I threw Bear's notebook at him.

"That. What's the most important traits a detective needs?" By now I had attracted the attention of the entire gym with my bellowing. I lightly prodded his belly with my cane.

"LOGIC, PATIENTS AND…" My berating was cut off by the approaching footsteps and baring fangs of the lucario. Followed by a deep threatening growl. Acting quickly I whipped out the pokéball and flicked it open. The lucario disappeared in a flash of light; I pressed the cane on Bear's belly harder. Making him jolt and hold the jabbed area in pain. I softened my voice.

"Attention to detail!…Meet me at my desk NOW!" I growled out the last word, followed by dropping the red and white ball on Bear and waddling away. Leaving him covered in his loose gear. He looked at me with a pained smile.

"I guess you're Detective Sergeant Macauley?" I stopped and turned to look at him, nodding while doing so. Making sure to not break the tough persona I displayed.

"You refer to me as either Sergeant or Macauley." I left Bear, after doing some paper shifting on my desk. Dusting off my computer and checking other features, including washing my coffee mug. The experience of shouting was relieving, as I had not done it in a while. I liked to be stern to new partners as I had to show them who was boss. Couple minutes later he showed up, plonking himself down in an office chair opposite me. Whom actually belonged to a different detective that wasn't here at the moment.

His lucario was next to him giving me an annoyed look. Wearing the standard issue navy blue vest that read 'police'. Said vest had a hole in the middle for the metal chest spike to stick through. Civilians regarded the clothing as cute but it functioned as stab protection and identification. All police pokémon a version of said vest that was fitted for their body type. Bear wore black denim jeans and a light blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His badge hanging from his neck. When the badge is around the neck I see it as being a show-off. More suited to Hollywood then real life. I kept my badge in my breast pocket.

"So what's the first case?" He said with an enthusiastic smile, relaxing in the office chair. I stood up and began walking to the office espresso machine. I managed to snatch the cubicle closest to it.

"We got nothing for now." I placed the mug under the machine before hitting a few buttons. I gestured if he wanted one which he shook his head. I patiently waited for the ground goodness while looking down on his pocket monster.

"What's his name?" In response the pokémon stared at me as the antenna like appendages on the back of its head wriggled slightly. It closed its eyes.

"My name is Roxie." The voice sounded cold and feminine with a hint of bitterness in it, her mouth didn't move when talking. She opened her scarlet eyes. I looked towards Bear about to ask how.

"Telepathy…she can read feelings and auras." I was a quite amazed by this, I knew there are strange pokémon out there and that they have weird abilities. But as a pokémon that could read feelings, she would be useful. My desk phone rang. I jumped and stumbled back to my desk snatching it off the hook.

"This is Detective Sergeant Macauley speaking." I listened to a tired and familiar voice on the other end of the line.

"Macauley, 204 at 24 King Avenue, you know what to do." Arnes tiredly barked into the phone, I quickly slammed it back down, skulling my third coffee for the morning and lead us out of the building. The car we would take was black and undercover. But undercover didn't mean invisible, in fact it was quite easily recognised if looked at close enough. I hurled Bear the keys to the vehicle and stepped into the passenger seat, Roxie got in the back.

"Uh…Where are we going?" Bear asked, I looked in the back to see Roxie buckled into the middle of the row of seats. Bear twisted the keys in the ignition and pulled out onto the road.

"Homicide at 24 King Avenue, get us there now." I had already punched the address into the onboard GPS. He brushed his hand over his stubble and with coolness sped out onto the road. He moved with questionably legal road movements, something that would be reserved for when the sirens were on.

"Why did you do that sir?…I mean Macauley." His voice was calm despite the fact he nearly ran a red light.

"Do what?" I asked him, I braced myself against the car door as he did a quick turn around the corner, probably forgot that he wasn't in a pursuit. Also it's not an ambulance, the homicide victim isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Throw my stuff and yell at me?" We came to a sudden stop when the light was red and a car was in front of us. I had to hold my hand out to brace myself, while I could hear Roxie grunt in the back.

"Well one reason was to teach you some things, and the other was because you left me in the locker room…It's been a while since I yelled at someone, take your time and you will be able to do it too. Also try to keep track of things." I presented him his pistol, he felt his belt and was surprised at the empty holster. We sat in silence, with the sound of the traffic and the car engine only being heard. A few seconds later Bear chuckled, trying desperatly to hold it in. It evolved into a laughing fit. I waited for a response.

"Roxie heh heh just…she called you a dick head." I turned back to the lucario giving me a steel gaze, I counter attacked with my own hard stare. I didn't know much about lucarios, I honestly couldn't keep up with the amount of pokémon there are. I just know some of the common ones, the ones we deal with regularly and the church of Arceus is based around one. My pokédex has saved me many times. I just find it better to when they say their name and glow to just shoot them on the spot. Some officers carry around spare pokéballs for emergencies. Being a non-lethal, albeit slightly unreliable way of controlling a pokémon. I should probably get one. Also when pokémon were being a large problem it was up to the KSPPC to deal with it. The car came to a sudden and violent stop, we were in a car park.

"We're here."


	3. Blood in Room Twelve

Blood in Room Twelve

"This place looks like a tip." Bear commented upon entering the car park, I observed the surroundings. Cracked and pothole ridden tarmac with pale white lines. It was a very cheap motel, two rundown floors with an off neon sign that read 'Mirror Motel'. The type of den that scumbags and druggies hide in. Two stories high and lacked an elevator, annoying me greatly. Crime scene had already been established with forensics already on the scene in their white coveralls. Ghouls had already smelt out a news story and were being held back by officers. I spotted Sergeant Gobb talking to another officer. Seeing no other familiar faces, I leapt out of the car and limped towards him. He turned and his moustache curved upwards.

"Hamish, glad you could join us. I'm guessing these are your new partners?…Oh hey Joseph, didn't know you became a detective." Gobb reached out and firmly shook hands with Bear.

"You thought I left the TRG for another reason?" I assumed the two knew each other through experience in the Tactical Response Group. However many officers knew Sergeant Gobb from his reputation and distinguished facial hair.

"Roxie." Gobb acknowledged the lucario as he nodded, the pokémon nodded back in response. I could spot the officers crowding around one room in particular.

"Where's the body?" He gestured us to follow. I struggled up the flight of stairs, needing Bear and Gobb to give me a hand as I couldn't get my bad leg far off the ground without nearly falling back. Roxie waited for us at the top as the two officers both awkwardly paraded me to the second level. I took note of the lack of CCTV cameras; we might be dealing with a hard case.

"Who found the body?" I asked Gobb, he led us to a room that was labeled room 12. Before entering we stretched on plastic gloves and coverings on our shoes. Roxie had to stay outside.

"Cleaning lady found him at approximately nine forty-five this morning. Door was unlocked. I was the first officer on the scene." Gobb stated, he lifted up the yellow tape before gesturing us in like a doorman at a swanky hotel.

The room led on to a bathroom on the left, a window shone light into the main room, straight onto the corpse. The body was slumped up against a bed, which faced a box looking TV on top of a dresser. The beige carpet was stained with blood that leaked from wounds on the victim's chest. The head of the deceased looked down with his freckled face covered by fiery red hair. He was shirtless too, a black T-shirt crumpled on the bed. An empty pokéball was on the ground a metre away from the body. Yellow evidence markers had been placed at anything that related to the murder.

"I'm only guessing here but I THINK he was stabbed to death." Joseph commented with a cheeky smile, I looked back at him, unimpressed so far with his observation skills.

"Ok tell me more…show me what you know." His smug face turned serious as he began moving around the room looking for anything. He paused at the corpse.

"Victim hasn't gone into much rigour-mortis or started decay, definitely killed in the last 24 hours. I'm guessing he'd be in his…early twenties?" Joseph stated, I pointed at his pocket seeing a slight bulge in a rectangular shape.

"There's a way to confirm that." Bear carefully pried the wallet from the victim's khaki cargo pants and looked inside. He pulled out a drivers licence.

"Name is Todd Floyd, I was correct he was born twenty years ago. Lives at thirteen Archer Route." After looking through the rest of his wallet we found a credit card, bus pass and cash in bills. He had no car keys on him.

"Fifty dollars in here Macauley." It got placed into an evidence bag, quite a large sum for the average man to carry around in cash. His phone was nearby, a primitive flip phone, quite cheap but reliable. The crime wasn't money motivated, the cash in the wallet proved this. I looked to see the room key on a dressing table.

"There's the key, no suitcase states he wasn't planning on staying here…The amount of stab wounds indicates either a crime of passion or psychosis." One thing I had figured out in my career in homicide is that there are three common motives for murder. Drugs, money and love.

"What about the pokéball?" I asked, one of the forensics officers picked it up and placed it into an evidence bag.

"Was empty upon arrival, also we found this." The same officer gave me an evidence bag with a small tuft of dark hair resting at the bottom.

"Can we look at the guest book?" After being shown to the front desk the owner of the motel handed over the plastic binder that was the book. The owner seemed mildly annoyed at the murder, as if this had happened before. After scrolling down we found no 'Todd Floyd' amongst the list. He probably faked his name.

"Did you see the victim at any point in time?" The owner shrugged his flabby shoulders, being a balding overweight man in a grubby flannel shirt. His hands and teeth were stained with the yellowing blackness of tobacco.

"I don't care who comes in here so as long as they pay officer." How he's in business I questioned until I realised the cost of the rooms was dirt-cheap. Perfect price for living and balancing a costly drug addiction.

"What I can tell you is I saw no one come in after eleven clock. That's when I close up and leave for the night." I realised I was getting nowhere with the dull man and moved back to the room, observing the door. The door must have been opened for the killer, or left open. Being unlocked meant that either the victim let the murderer in or they had a key as well. But the key was in the bedroom and the owner only had one spare he would give to the cleaning lady. Narrowed it down to either the door was left open or the murderer was let in. The window certainly wasn't an option. I came up with a plan, grabbing one of the disposable coveralls and thick gloves.

"Roxie, your sense of smell any good?" The pokemon looked at me and nodded sternly with what could be seen as a thumb's up. Being a dog like pokémon I made an assumption. Even if KPOL has designated sniffer dogs such as herdiers, houndooms and growliths.

"Great, follow the smell." I wiped some of the victim's blood on my gloved hand and held it up to Roxie. Her mussel wiggled with a snorting sound and began following along the ground. She got down on all fours and intently sniffed at the floor, slowly dragging her face with her nose planted on the concrete. After having great difficulty getting down the motel stairs. Again Bear and Gobb carried me down like an old man. Bear and I following her, we kept pace as she slowly sped up. We reached a bus stop where the trail went cold, she looked at the both of us and stood up as usual. Shaking her head.

"Great there goes our lead." Bear stated the obvious, I think there was something else. My eyes landed on the bin next to the shiny metal bench.

"I beg a differ Constable." I pointed at the rubbish bin before hobbling over to it. It was commonplace for killers to try dispose of evidence quickly. It was like trying to get rid of guilt.

"So we're going to dig through trash?" I chuckled, this would be ineffective if the killer just caught a bus with the evidence. I deducted that the way the blood splattered from the wounds, the killer would be covered in the blood of Todd Floyd. I handed Bear the coveralls and gloves.

"A slight alteration to that sentence Bear. YOU are going to dig through trash." He looked at me in hesitation. After a short staring contest he reluctantly pulled on the coveralls, folded up his gloves, turned on his torch, held his breath and stuck himself in the bin.

"Smells worse than a trubbish in here." I could here his desperate gags and chokes on trying not to bring up his breakfast. Roxie's lips curled into a sly smile at her owner's expense.

"Whatever you do don't vomit, forensics won't be happy." While Joseph was dumpster diving we got many curios looks from pedestrians and drivers. We have cripple and a pokémon watching a third man dressed in a white coverall with his head in a bin. I wonder how long until this ends up on the local social media page with the usual complaint of 'where our tax money goes'. Not all police work is gunfights and car chases.

"OH FOUND SOMETHING!" The rummaging against plastic bottles, rotten food and presumably rattata droppings increased as his feet slightly lifted off the ground. Roxie grabbed a fold in his overalls to ensure he wouldn't go all the way in.

"UH HAH!" He came out holding two things, in one hand was a kitchen knife, and in the other was what appeared to be a clear plastic bag covered in red. Using only the tips of my fingers I took both items off him and placed them in separate large zip lock bags. Bear held onto the bench while his face contorted into several different shapes.

"Ok now I'm going t…" He immediately stuck his head back into the darkness of the bin and I could hear his breakfast leaving his body through his mouth. The problem was he was lacking the masks that forensics officer's usually had. Thus fully effected by the smell.

"Good job Roxie." I went to pet her like I would a dog but she responded with a low, threatening growl. I pulled back my hand, as I wanted to keep it on my arm.

The knife was a standard kitchen knife that could be bought anywhere. Saturated in blood all the way up to the handle with a twenty centimetre blade length. The other on closer inspection was a cheap, one use only, see through poncho. What I described as a torso length condom, cheap and effective for stopping rain and blood spray. The murderer must have worn this during the ordeal. This indicated that the murder was premeditated. We went back to the crime scene, handing the evidence over to the forensics team and watching as the body was taken into the back of the coroner. Autopsy should be finished by tomorrow.

While I would like to head straight to the address detailed on the drivers licence we had to head back to the station. For one smelly reason.

"First murder and I've already had to wade through rubbish." Joseph said as we got back into police car. Because it wasn't a good look for officers to show up at the residence of a next of kin to inform them of their loss and smell like a public bin. Even if the coverall was supposed to stop that me must have worn it incorrectly.

"When you get a subordinate, you can tell them to do the same." I had already assumed the murderer was known to the victim for one reason. They always are. Grums Thicket has been the only serial killer case I've been on and that was when I was a starting off detective. Almost every murder case I did had a personal reason behind it. The only exemptions are robberies that go wrong and street violence, and they usually get caught quickly. Perpetrators of those crimes usually have a criminal record. If this were a serial killing it would have been somewhere else, somewhere the killer would have had an advantage. While this was going on, Gobb had been sent to inform Todd Floyd's next of kin.

After Joseph washed the stench away in the station showers and I had another coffee we got back on the road, heading straight to the home of the victim. A police car was already out the front, which I recognised back at the motel. The suburb was an average income area. The house was one story, foregrounded with a yellow and green lawn with a wild scattering of bushes. A path of grey stepping-stones paved a path to the wire mesh front door. As we neared the entrance sobbing could be heard coming from the house. I removed my fedora and hit the door three times with my cane.

"Come in." The voice was unfamiliar and masculine, we followed through and entered the house going down a hallway, turning right to a living room. Sitting on a couch was a brunette woman in her mid forties with her hands over her face with sobbing noises coming from her. A blonde haired man of roughly the same age had his arm over the woman's shoulder comforting her. I concluded they weren't married as neither of them had a wedding ring. Gobb stood near the doorway and turned to us as we entered. A pokémon was at his feet which I recognised it to be an eevee. Said eevee looked around with a poker face, I guessed he was Elvis. Gobb turned to greet us. He pointed at the woman.

"Todd's drivers licence is out of date. Maxine Floyd, mother of the victim, that man is Maxine's boyfriend. Todd does not live here but with his girlfriend Peggy Koch who I'm going to inform now, she lives at 12 Box Route…Good luck you three." He patted Bear on the shoulder before walking out, Elvis followed suit. I gestured Bear to go in first, he flicked out his notebook and clicked his pen.

"Morning sir and ma'am, my name is Detective Constable Bear and these are my partners. I just need to ask a couple questions concerning the murder of your son." He's definitely done this before as most officers have had to inform a next of kin. Whether it be a car accident, or a sudden death or anything of the like. While he did that I began to look around, starting with the shelves.

'Every house's shelf tells a story' is what my first mentor said. While being an arrogant dick head he was an excellent detective. Maybe even the best the force had ever seen. Many photos were family pictures showing a younger Todd. A portrait of him in his school uniform. Another being a family photo in the snow in a foreign land. One of him and his mother. One stood out amongst the others. A dust blanketed picture near the back with three people. A brown haired woman and a red headed boy of roughly twelve, but another arm was around the boy. He stood taller than the woman with the boy's same red hair, with a grin adorning his scruffy face.

"Miss Floyd, when was the last time you had contact with your son?" By now she had stopped the majority of tears, the other man meanwhile didn't appear to be crying at all.

"Um…Four days ago, I called to see how he was going." He sat down on a chair opposite them, Bear detailed this down in his notebook.

"Do you know anyone who may want to harm Todd?" Bear continued with his questioning as I joined him at another chair. Roxie sat on the floor cross-legged. Maxine shook her head while wiping some tear residue from her face.

"Do you know why Todd would be in a cheap mo…?"

"Sorry to cut in Miss Floyd but who's Todd's father?" Everyone looked at me with surprise as soon as I asked the question.

"He's my ex-husband. Randall Case is his name. He's in jail now." Bear noted that, I could swear she said 'good riddance' under her breath. There was also a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Thank you for that…so do you have any idea why Todd would be at the mirror motel?" I continued Bear's question, Miss Floyd shook her head timidly.

"Miss Floyd, do you have any picture of Todd we could use as a reference?" She nodded as she stood up and walked to the kitchen. The blonde haired man looked at us, nothing seemed sad about him. Maxine took a picture off the fridge and handed it to me. It was a picture of Todd Floyd and it looked recent. A close up of his face, standing amongst trees.

"Thank you ma'am that's all for now." I got up and stood in the doorway waiting for Bear to finish scribbling his notes down. He followed, not before turning back to the couple.

"We'll find your son's killer ma'am." Bear stated as he went out the door with Roxie following. I plugged in the GPS for 12 Box Route and we took off.

"The man's aura didn't seem to have anything bad." This was the first time Roxie had said something since back at the station, I looked back at her and nodded. We went back to silence, slowly watching the world go by out the car windows.

"May not have known Todd for that long, at least less than five years." I retorted. A few more minutes of silent driving we came to a set of flats with Sergeant Gobb's police car out front. I flicked on our car's radio.

"Gobb which…" I stopped as soon as Gobb walked out of the building, still with his new pet at his side and gave us a wave. He flicked on his radio.

"Floor two, apartment five. She's being comforted by her pokémon…I'll leave you to it." Flat was of normal design, mostly white with some elements of green across it. While I took the elevator up Roxie and Bear insisted on being healthy and walking up. They arrived at an earlier time to me. I gave the flat door a few solid nocks with my cane. A bipedal pokémon answered, being roughly 1.3 metres in height covered in scale like blue skin. A horn was on its head, with large ears and narrow brown eyes. There were also softer cream coloured parts of its body.

"It's a nidoqueen." Bear whispered to me, soon enough the pokémon opened the door to let us in, the nidoqueen ran ahead.

"Entire body is covered in armoured scales. Their spines are poisonous. Highly territorial and protective of their family." Joseph continued as we entered the living room. Slouching on the couch was a woman in her 20s with long brown hair and shiny tear stains down her face. A set of used tissues was in her lap and scattered around her.

"Morning miss Koch, My name's Detective Sergeant Macauley and these are my partners Roxie and Detective Constable Bear. I need to ask some questions about your boyfriend." I sat down in an armchair while Bear broke out his notebook and pen. She didn't say anything but sniffled as she nodded. A brief wave of grief showing itself at the mention of Todd.

"So how long have you two been together?" I always liked to ask with an average question, which doesn't relate directly to the murder.

"Over six years, we met in high school and we just went on from there. We didn't start dating until a year after." She flashed a smile for a bit before it disappeared and was replaced with the frown that she had before.

"Was your relationship a happy one?" Domestic violence was one of the main causes of murders across the world.

"He loved me." She nodded violently, wiping away some of the rapidly forming tears.

"So when was the last time you saw Todd alive?" As this happened I could hear Roxie and the nidoqueen talking, which was them saying their species name to each other. Pokéspeech is weird like that.

"8:00am when he left to go drinking with his friends…but he sent a message at 10:00 saying he was going to be staying at a mates for the night." She took out her phone and flicked it around before showing us a message sent at exactly 10:04pm.

"And has he done this before?" I continued, she began sliding through her phone showed us another text.

"He would go out every Friday night, but he's careful. You know the rules, stay over at a friends place and don't drink and drive." She showed two texts, one was last week and one was the week before. This was a routine.

"Ok and who are these friends he would go drinking with?" I asked. She put her phone away and pulled some of her hair out of her face.

"His best friend is called Terry Duke. He commonly goes out with him and his buddies." I looked around finding more pictures, one included Todd and Peggy kissing with the sun setting in the background.

"Do you have any idea why of why Todd would be in cheap motel at that time of night?" I continued to ask, I could notice she sniffled a few times with a few more tears running down her cheeks.

"No" She weakly said, her nidoqueen sat up on the couch and placed a paw on Peggy's shoulder. The woman responded by tightly embracing the pokémon. The pokémon returned it.

"What occupation do you and Todd do?" I asked, even if it was a relatively non-important question it was still required and possibly helpful.

"We are both studying at university. I'm doing engineering while he's doing biology…He works part time as a warehouse stacker." She said, I felt we had asked all we needed. Bear and Roxie followed as I limped to the door.

"Thank you Miss we will get back to you at some point." Roxie spoke up as we got in the car. It felt weird to hear a voice without a mouth. But I guess I will have to get used to it.

"I was talking to the nidoqueen, her name is Sadie. She said that when Peggy was gone a man came to the door on Wednesday. Something about family, and it seemed quite rough. Todd told her to keep quiet about it to Peggy. Saddie thought he sounded middle aged and had a red beard." I had taken out my own notebook and wrote this down.

"Good work Roxie." I praised her. By now it was lunch time and something I figured out is that you cannot think on an empty stomach.

One of the benefits is that officers used to have discounts at certain fast food businesses. Then people realised fat cops aren't effective ones so they got rid of those. Another dietary feature was to avoid donuts like the plague, no one wants to play into the stereotype. I grabbed a restaurant take away sandwich with another coffee for the day, while Bear pulled out his own packed lunch. He also took out a folding plastic bowl, filled it with a kibble from a bag and handed it to Roxie. We sat at a nearby park bench to eat. I was on my phone looking up Randall Case. Internet didn't provide anything so I decided a different approach. We all had access to the criminal database on our phones.

The mugshot revealed a man with the same fiery red hair as Todd. What came up was interesting. He was convicted six years ago for aggravated assault causing grievous bodily harm against Maxine in a drunken anger. Todd called the emergency number and was one of the key factors in his conviction. Looking at the dates it meant that Randall had only been released one week ago. He was forty-nine years old as of now. Maxine had a restraining order against him. I was conveying this information to Bear.

"Revenge?" Bear stated, while on the park bench we must have looked like a war veteran and his son taking their pokémon for a walk. Even if the age difference between the two of us made that impossible.

"Possibly." I had seen pettier reasons for someone to end another human life. Greed and gang affiliation I felt were the worst.

"So Duke or Randall first Macauley?" We were both finishing up our lunches, downing the last sip of coffee and hurled it into the bin.

"Let's pay Duke a visit. We don't even know where Randall lives." Plugging Terry Duke into the database lead to a home we sped too. We reached another set of flats however this time they were down low in a two story building. Luckily the landlord was on hand to point him out. Three knocks against the door.

"Police open up." We could hear the lock click and the door open to show a skinny young man with blonde bedraggled hair wearing boxers and a singlet. We both flicked out our badges.

"How can I help you officers?" I opened my mouth first, beating Bear to the punch.

"My name is Detective Sergeant Macauley, these are my partners. Your name is Terry Duke correct?" He nodded in response, I handed him the picture of Todd I received from Maxine. I removed my fedora.

"We regret to inform you that Todd Floyd was found dead this morning at the Mirror Motel, 24 King Avenue. We would like to ask you a couple questions." He stopped and stood there, his breath quickened and his eyes widened.

"…Oh." Was all he said as he continued to look at the picture silently, he gestured us into his flat. Looked the usual place a man of his age would live, unclean and untidy, he invited us to sit down. I took the offer while Bear and Roxie continued to stand.

"Would you like a drink, tea or?" He went over to a kitchen bench and shakily held a kettle under a fast running tap. Missing the kettle and spraying the local area with water. Ignoring the stain he caused on his singlet.

"We are good thanks." He abandoned his efforts to make us something and opted to just fill a ceramic mug with water and down it in one gulp. He turned and faced us.

"So what brings you here officers?" He said as he walked towards us, slipping on a sock left out on the hard wooden floor. He recovered mid fall and went back to nervously smiling.

"We can give you a moment to compose yourself before asking you anything." Grieving people are harder to interview than someone not balling their eyes out. Emotion overcomes anything else in these matters.

"No, that is fine ask away." I gestured him to sit down across from me and he complied. I asked the first question.

"I see…Now according to a text message from Todd to Peggy, we have reason to believe that he was staying over here for the night. This was after drinking. Is that correct and where did you drink?" He locked eyes with me as he responded.

"Yes…The Rebellious Magikarp, that's the place." His tone of voice was raised out of his lungs, he didn't break eye contact with me. The common thought is that people avert their eyes when telling a lie but a lot of the time they overcompensate.

"Are you sure that is all Mr Duke?" I leaned towards him and looked him in the eyes, the common reaction is to say something to lift the anxiety. He sunk far into his chair in an effort to get away.

"No." The answer was squeaky but sure, I leaned back to give him a sense of personal space.

"What really happened?" While I did this, Roxie stood nearby constantly staring down Terry, while Bear looked around the flat with his pen still stuck to his notebook.

"I-I offered him to stay over here for the night…t-then I went of to have a shower the guy was gone. Left the door open too. Bad habit of his, let the cold air in." The shakiness of his voice was a dead give away he didn't say everything, I decided to keep looking at him. He smiled unsurely.

"Do you know why Todd left your flat and went to the Mirror Motel?" His face was quite red and he began rubbing his lower jaw with his open palm. As if he was trying to hide himself from me. He still had his eyes unblinkingly fixated on me.

"No." The word had a similar sound of a rattata squeak, I still kept on pressing questions.

"Was there any others with you during the night out?" This was to identify if there were any more suspects that we had to look out for. His answer came out with a bit more volume than the others.

"No." Peggy said there was more people, having contrasting stories was good. It would come back to bight one of them in the end. I believed Peggy was more truthful. I looked towards Bear and Roxie and gestured them to head to the door, I got up and headed to it myself and stood in the doorway.

"Thank you for that mister Duke. We will be in touch." I closed the door and headed back to the car, I could feel my mind go tingly.

"His aura felt like he was hiding something." Roxie stated, the tingles disappeared as fast as they came.

"Definitely." I responded and checked my watch it now read 3:00pm, enough time to hopefully find Randall.

"Agreed. How do we find Randall?" Joseph asked, he started up the car and headed off out of the car park.

"Inmates without family support usually end up in free accommodation for a few weeks before being forced to buy a house. If he's not in one of those he's either with friends or family. Get us back to HQ."

After loading up on my sixth coffee it was on the computer to find out where Randall lived. Sending off several e-mails it was now a waiting game. Paperwork was to be filled in and we weren't even finished and it was overwhelming. Police shows and films tend to forget that officers are at their desks for hours on end. No one knows where all this stuff goes but they just say 'upstairs'. We would also need to pick up the CCTV for the Rebellious Magikarp, I sent them an e-mail. When I did receive a reply at 6:00pm I had a brief discussion with a parole officer, which pointed to a hotel. After finishing the sentence I was on. I called up the others and it was back out into the tall grass.

The hotel actually looked quite pleasant from the outside, an average hotel seven stories high. Our search didn't get very far however when we reached the door of his room the receptionist pointed to.

"Police, open up…Police open up…Police open up!" We got no response, this set us on the path back to the station. We filled in a couple more hours of paperwork before I hitchhiked home. There happened to be two constables patrolling past my flat which gave me a ride. I had canned soup for dinner with crackers. As I unfitted my leg brace and lay on my bed I could not help and be happy.

Back on the job again.


	4. R and Sleaze

R and Sleaze

"Thank you for that. Now this just in, we have had reports of the events happening in the Grums Thicket Regional Park. This concerns the ghost walks that are held each year." Early morning, in my boxers. Munching on cereal while watching the morning news. My bad leg resting on a stool, liberated from its brace. Most people just go on their phone or whatever now to get their dosage of reality. I'm still a bit old fashioned.

"We now cross over to our live reporter, Jack." The footage of the female reporter changed to a live feed of a suited man standing amongst thick, tall trees with the sun rising in the background.

"Thank you Jane. Now despite the infamous reputation of the Grums Thicket Park there are still people who are planning on staying the night this year. Early today thrill seekers and adventurers will enter the forest and set up camp. Here we have one such man, Zachary." The camera panned to show a man nearing 20 wearing a red hoodie and black cap.

"So Zach, what brings you to the place known as 'the hunting zone?'" I don't know why people bother staying in the forest after the serial killings and disappearances.

"Me and my mates all took a dare and we decided to all spend the night in the park." Zachery goofily smiled and waved to the camera, the reporter chuckled.

"And do you think it is a bit disrespectful for the trainers, one of which being confirmed dead who went missing only thirteen years ago?" The reporter asked. I thought it was seeing the case turned out cold and we never got the killer, or killers. All the victims being pokémon trainers, naturally all were young.

"Nah, if anything it made the park more popular. We might even find something." He said, suddenly the camera cut back into the studio with the news reporter smiling.

"We will have more with that later, now onto the weather." I began to drift back to memories of the Grums Thicket murders, it felt nostalgic yet melancholy. Like remembering the 'good o'l days' of when someone is young. I was a detective senior constable during the searches, at the age of twenty-nine. I remember the excitement of the early disappearances, the thrill of hunting a serial killer. I also recall one of my worst experiences during that time. The ones I remembered of course. Senior Constable Steven Rock was one of the memories I would rather forget. I stopped reminiscing and went back to the television. Trying to get away from those memories.

"The next few days are still going to be hot and sunny, so make sure to put on some sun cream before going out." The studio reporter stated. One of the features that came with my leg brace was that it wasn't well ventilated. Meaning it would have sweat trapped under it making it uncomfortable. It hurt to adjust it.

I swallowed some painkillers with coffee. I went and had a difficult shower, pulled on my daily clothing, swiped my badge, strapped on my brace, donned my fedora, took my cane and hit the streets. Again waiting for Gobb to rescue me. When he showed up I struggled my way into the car and we were off. We stopped by for coffee before driving to the HQ.

"You hear the news about Grums Thicket?" He said, sipping on his cardboard cup. Licking the second moustache of froth on his top lip.

"Yep…why?" We were both in the case. Gobb was just a constable with slightly less grey hair during the investigation. It felt weird to order him around seeing he was both older and more experienced than me. However experience wasn't in police work.

"Just saw on the news how some people still are camping out at night." I hoped he would shut up soon. One event in particular left a mental mark on me, if I could remember it. The fall. The coma. But I always remembered Senior Constable Steven Rock. The man, fellow officer and friend I let down.

"Wonder how long it takes until another vanishes from the face of the earth. Imagine that, Kalgooma Police Force vs The Grum's murderer round two." He chuckled with his moustache angled up, I faked a smile and went back to looking at the road. I also noticed the poké ball back in the cup holder.

"Still looking after your daughter's pokémon?" I asked trying to get the conversation away from the current topic.

"Yep, Elvis's very good a comforting people, I found that out yesterday. He also likes to be a little bugger and nibble on my pants." Gobb raised his voice near the end, aiming it directly at the poké ball, as if the eevee could hear him. I found it entertaining.

"I thought you said you could handle it?" I teased, by the time I finished chuckling we pulled into the car park and headed off to our respected branches. I reached my desk, finding a note written in Bear's handwriting.

' _Got bored at shooting range.'_

I visited the locker room for my belt, I took it in relation to meeting Randall. I limped my way to the range, getting standard greetings from fellow law enforcement. The range was in the basement level of the building. I found Bear with his pistol drawn taking shots at a target in the shape of a human upper body. Outlines of pokémon were also available, which I viewed as much more important in terms of priority when needing to use lethal force. I slipped on some earmuffs before entering the range itself. Roxie wasn't at his side when he taking shots at the cardboard criminal.

"How's your aim?" I raised my voice attempting to get past his own earmuffs. He instantly stood at attention. Holstering his pistol. Back straight and feet together. Good to see he knew how to greet a superior with respect.

"Morning sergeant, pretty good if I don't say so myself." I had a look at his target, watching to see how he landed hits at the centre mass. Splintering back the cardboard. His accuracy was above average, time to see if I held up. I set up a different target, being the size of a small pokémon. Bear stood in silence, watching me take out my pistol. The automatic rails carried the target away. I hadn't used my gun in a while, and I was only using one hand. I raised the pistol. Sights fixed right at the centre mass. Steadying my breathing and my arm. First shot was dead on the mark, followed by the second, then the third. Accuracy slowly decreased from there, all fifteen rounds made their mark on the target. I flicked the gun around my fingers followed by roughly holstering it. Something I had mastered in the process of being bored. Still could hit a rattata at twenty metres. Bear looked impressed.

"You have any tips on shooting sergeant?" We went to leave the range, both of us grabbing more ammunition from the armory on the way out.

"Keep your breathing steady and try and predict where the target it going for some pokémon. You shoot directly at a fast moving target you might as well be shooting into the air." I stated, I learned that when a criminal called for his pokémon to quick attack me. I point blanked it as it went in for the kill.

As soon as we left the range Bear let Roxie out of her poké ball. She affectionately leant on him. Bear patted her, in response she closed her eyes and moved into his hand.

"First things first we head to the forensics lab. After that it's to the mortuary for the autopsy report. We will then go to the Rebellious Magikarp and pick up Friday Night's CCTV footage. Then, we go pay Randall a proper visit." I said out the plan I formed. We left the building and got into the same car as yesterday.

"But first stop at that cafe, I need a coffee for the road." Quick stop at a good cafe, with latte in hand. The forensics lab wasn't far from the station, we were there in a matter of minutes. The good thing was that the mortuary was across the road. The report wasn't very interesting, a lot being what I guessed. Victims blood was on the knife, said knife had no fingerprints on it. The poké ball had the finger prints of Todd on it, and that the hair found at the scene was definitely not human. Apart from that we didn't get much else, no DNA evidence of other people in the room. We took the left over mysterious hair. We left without much, we hoped to get some more out of the autopsy.

"You been in the mortuary before?" I asked Bear, we were strolling to the zebstrika crossing, with the mortuary across the road.

"Only back at the academy." He responded, I smiled at that seeing he was in for something more than bodies. The building itself was plain and cold. Someone who failed to acknowledge us manned the reception. I had met him before. We let ourselves in unrecognised.

"Morning Dr Anh." I stated as we all walked into the morgue. A well-known pathologist called Doctor Vu Anh, a petite thirty-four year old woman of Asian origin, ran the mortuary. She was ready with the scrubbed body of Todd already laid out on the examination table. The smell in the air was pungent with couple of drops of cheap perfume. The stench of cleaning agents.

"Morning Hamish. Well the cause of death is obvious, six wounds made by the knife that was found. Two of those incisions made exit wounds. One in particular nipped the aorta, he would have bled out in a couple of seconds with the other wounds." She pointed them out with her latex covered hand.

"Did you hear that?" Bear stated alarmingly, I turned to see him and Roxie staring around wildly, I turned back before I gave away my smile.

"Decay in the skin tissue states he died around 11:00pm to midnight." She continued, I could hear velcro ripping and turned to see Bear with his gun drawn.

"Put your gun away constable. There are not zombies here." I ordered, he looked at me and questioningly held up a single finger. Roxie looked equally on edge.

"There is a banging noise coming from that locker. Look even Roxie hears it." He pointed at Roxie who nodded while getting into a combat pose. He pointed at one of the doors locking off a shelf. I played along drawing my own pistol.

"Go open it." I aimed at the door while he inched closer to the supposed noise. Slowly sliding the metal entrance open. It revealed a filled, black, body bag on a cold, pullout shelf.

"See nothing now just…" Suddenly the bag rustled around. Flapping like a fish out of water. Bear shrieked in fear while stumbled back in fright. The body continued to move. Letting out muffled noises of desperation. I walked forward holstering my gun. Bear copied my action. Roxie came to Bear's side, sniffing the bag. We stood over the body while I began to unzip the sack. I was holding back the smile that ebbed at my face. A soon as I pulled the zipper down the plastic deflated as if whatever was in it disappeared. Causing Bear and Roxie's face to pale in confusion. The temperature dropped ten degrees. I saw the black gas emerging behind Bear. With a set of cold clawed hands grabbing his shoulders.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" Bear screamed and jumped into the air, slipping on the ceramic floor and landing flat on the ground. He clawed at his holster. Meanwhile Roxie had tried to throw a fast moving fist into the smoke. Only for the cloud to disappear as her paw entered. They both paused when they could hear the laughing of Anh. Joined by the raspy voice of an emerging pokémon from the shadows.

"Good one Haunter." Anh wheezed, the pokémon revealed itself to be a haunter, laughing its ghostly ass off while fully showing itself to the lucario and confused constable.

"Bear, Roxie meet Haunter, mortuary pokémon mascot and prankster." Anh tried to squeeze out in-between the exhales. I was in Bear's position when I met Haunter for the first time. Apparently one day it just moved into the building and has just stayed. Fitting for a ghost pokémon to hang out with corpses.

"FUCK YOU, YOU…ASSHOLE!" Bear yelled in anger at Haunter while Roxie growled and barked at it. I found their reactions amusing. The ghost type didn't stop its laughter until he went down one of the drains on the floor. It waved with a wide grin before slinking into the hole, out of sight. Eventually man and pokémon recovered and got back on track.

"Anyway, Todd's blood-alcohol was 0.03%. Not enough to affect his thinking or movement significantly. But means he had been drinking. Now here's something weird." She carefully moved the body over onto his belly. I stretched on a pair of latex gloves and helped her move Todd. She pointed out a selection of long markings on his back.

"Wounds happened a while ago, but must have drawn blood. They are similar to scratch marks but not humans, that drag down." She used her own fingers as a demonstration, pretending to claw them down Todd's back. Anh removed her gloves and handed me a file, I glanced through it seeing how it was an autopsy report.

"That's everything. Need anything else?" I looked over at Bear and Roxie who were still recovering from Haunter. Bear still rubbing the side he fell on.

"That's all for now, see you later Doctor Anh." We left the mortuary and arrived back at the car.

"Where to sergeant?" I contemplated on either going to the Rebellious Magikarp or getting that pokémon hair analysed by the local pokémon professor.

"Get us to Professor Jarrah's lab." I plugged the address into the GPS and we took off. I remember when before Jarrah, a man called Professor Gum ran the lab. He was found to be doing some illegal things involving pokémon. I remember because I arrested him. An anonymous tip off showed some very clear evidence of what happened. Jarrah I hadn't met before in person, I had heard of him through the department.

The building looked like a hospital, white stairs leading up to a set of glass double doors. There were too many stairs in this world. Roxie and Bear were patient enough to wait for me at the top as I struggled up. They offered help, which I promptly refused. The only way I was going to improve my physical situation is through doing it myself. A beep noise sounded as we entered, the reception was empty. Furnished with red couches and a large, red poké ball symbol at the end of the room.

"Who is thith?" A lisping voice yelled, muffled by what I could guess was a wall.

"We are with the Kalgooma Police Force." I yelled back, we looked at each other when the voice hesitated.

"I'm thorry but can you come back here pleathe?" We did what the voice requested, we went though a door to a lab. A stocky, reddish brown skinned man with thick-framed glasses sat at a desk. Under his white lab coat was a button up pinstripe green shirt and polka dot brown tie. His hair was spongy and cut short, with a very dense full-face beard. On his desk was a dismantled poké ball with scattered paperwork.

"Can I help you good offitherth?" His voice was deep and his lisp was very thick. The lab was a typical pokémon lab featuring glass tubes, computers and an egg incubator. It also had enclosures, all of which were empty. I presented both my badge and the bag of hair.

"Detective Sergeant Macauley, Kalgooma Police Force. I need you to analyse this hair found at a crime scene. We suspect it to belong to pokémon." I stated sternly, he nodded and stood up. He revealed himself to be wearing nothing more than white briefs.

"Oh yeth, Profethor Gum left a few thingth about you. Retht athured offithers, I am no rithk candy maker." Gum found that because of his position it was easy to get the ingredients necessary in the making of R candy. None of us reacted to the fact Jarrah was wearing his undies.

"Um…Professor." Bear stated as he pointed at Jarrah's bare, hairy legs. The pokémon professor looked down and realised his position. He panicked and dashed over to a pair of hanging green cargo shorts.

"Tho thorry about that, I don't get that many vithitorth thith time of year. Tho it'th just me…in my lab…in my undieth." After he pulled on the shorts he came and gently took the hair off me. He walked over to a microscope and picked up forceps.

"How long is this going to take?" I asked, Jarrah looked up and stroked his proud beard with his free hand, humming loudly.

"Uh…If itth ok I am in the middle of thomething right now." He gestured to the empty poké ball. I restated my question.

"How long?" I stated firmly with my usual deep tone, he frantically looked around. He disappeared into another room labeled 'STORAGE'. Followed by a crashing noise. He came back, holding a cardboard box. Which he went ahead and tipped the stuff on his desk into. Followed by him turning to us with a smile.

"An hour? How about you give me your phone number and I'll call you?" I recited my number, which he wrote down on a post-it note. We went to leave.

"Have a good day offitherth, hope you find what you're looking for." I shut the door, leaving the three of us alone in the lobby. I gestured Bear and Roxie outside back to the car. I struggle down the stairs faster than I struggled up them. So a man who wanders around in his underpants has replaced Gum. At least he's not a drug dealer…Yet.

"Where to now?" I looked down at my watch, midday and I could already feel the onset of emptiness in my belly.

"A place that sells food preferably." Again we ended up going to a local cafe and it was the same situation as yesterday, this time out the front of said cafe.

"Do you want to know about the incident involving pepper spray and toilet paper?" Bear immediately chocked on his water, while Roxie didn't move from her position at his leg. Bear grinned.

"Sure, go ahead." I recounted a time back when I was still detective constable, when I had two legs that functioned. Pepper spray is most effective when used in the sensitive areas of the body. In most cases, officers go for the face. It also is effective against pokémon that get heavily damaged by fire. However someone had a bright idea of spraying it on toilet paper seeing that goes to a sensitive area too. A lot of rectums were sore after this discovery was made. It was funny the first few times, and then it was just painfully annoying. When the problem didn't stop they had to change the properties of the spray to have a more pronounced appearance to it. As I was recounting this Bear was chuckling the whole way through. Roxie just rolled her eyes, continuing to act vigilant, staring at any passing people and pokémon. Her teeth crunching the kibble in her hands. When we finished lunch it was a first stop at the Rebellious Magikarp. Getting the CCTV footage of the night with ease, the owner was happy to hand it over. The stop was brief and uneventful, too early in the day for any drinkers.

We now we were off to Randall's place again.

"Police open up!" I struck the door three times with my cane, no response. I looked back to see Bear shrugging his shoulders and Roxie staring down the hallway. A man was frozen near the entrance to the stairwell. Holding two full shopping bags. He had a fiery red beard with very short red hair.

"Excuse me Mr Case, we n…" Before I could finish he dropped the bags and ran. We instinctively and collectively bolted after him. My stride was broken when I felt a sharp agony pierce my knee. I let out a painful cry, which Bear responded by stopping and looking back.

"Ignore me get, after him!" I felt left out but I was now left alone with the bags. Which didn't look completely like average groceries. Pulling on a latex glove I began my inspection, conveniently finding a receipt.

Rare Candy $64.00

Battery acid $30.40

Mint Berry Extract $22.50

Rattatta Poison $45.50

That was only the top of the receipt and most of these items were ingredients in the making of R candy. The only two items that weren't were frozen lasagna and some cigarettes. However he only had half of the ingredients required. Certainly not enough rare candy for a decent batch. I was brought out of my snooping when my radio buzzed.

"We got him sergeant, second floor." I went for the elevator only to have my leg demand I stay down. I complied and flicked on my radio.

"Great…Bring him up here." The elevator opened with a chime and revealed Randall on the floor with Roxie pinning him down like a human cop would. Bear stood above him. Randall didn't struggle but his eyes showed he was terrified.

"I didn't do anything, I want my phone call, I want a lawyer before I say anything." His voice was shaky, at least he knew what he was entitled to. Bear and Roxie lifted him off the elevator floor and moved him towards me.

"Mr Case let me start again. My name is Detective Sergeant Macauley and these are my colleagues. We just need to ask you a couple questions." He looked at me, I could tell prison had been harsh on him. A bruise on his wrist, a cut on his forearm and not the healthiest looking teeth I had seen.

"What the hell do you want." I gestured Roxie to let go of him, she glared at me and reluctantly did so. Randall stepped away and dusted himself off while Bear placed his hand on his arm. I took off my fedora.

"Mr Case we regret to inform you that your son was found dead yesterday morning. Evidence points to it being a murder." His hard eyes softened and his whole figure loosened.

"I see." He looked at the ground, I limped towards his door and stood beside it.

"How about we do this at your room?" The others followed, he picked up his 'groceries' and we entered the hotel room. It was more of a miniature apartment with a separate bedroom and kitchen. For recently released convicts this place seemed pretty nice, great view as well. I placed myself in a chair while Randall sat on the coach.

"Now Mr Case where were you Friday night?" He looked at the ground silently, then back up to me, occasionally looking up into the corner of his head while hesitating.

"Uh, I went out to The Castle for dinner. Came home and went to sleep." I might have to send someone over to see if security footage of him proved it.

"Now what did you do on Wednesday night?" I continued, he stared at me dead in the eyes and looked to down to his left.

"I…don't remember" Looking down to the left usually indicates a lie…usually. What Peggy's nidoqueen said about a red bearded man visiting on wednesday told a different story. I grumbled.

"Mr Case, do not lie to me." I continued to look at him, leaning forward slightly. He eventually stood up and threateningly pointed at me.

"I DID NOT KILL HIM!" His voice was more of an unsteady growl. Like a pokémon backed into a corner. I stayed sitting and didn't stop my stare into his trembling eyes. He was both scared and angry at the same time.

"Mr Case we are not…" I could see Bear and Roxie were ready to take him down, I held up my hand to stop them.

"WHATEVER MAXINE SAID ABOUT ME I DIDN'T KILL HIM! EVEN WHEN HE GOT ME LOCKED UP I STILL LOVED HIM! I…can't believe he's gone." Tears began forming at the corners of his eyes. I reached into my belt and fished out a tissue for him.

"Mr Case, we are trying to hunt down whoever killed your son. However we need the truth in order to do so. Now I need you to answer me honestly. Where were you in Wednesday night?" I asked again, he wiped his eyes eventually calming down.

"I just wanted to see my Todd after so long. He yelled at me about what I did to Maxine. How I should fuck off back to prison. Emotions ran high…I yelled back. I'm sorry." He switched from looking at the ground and back at me. An interruption came when the door clicked open.

"Hey Randall you ready to…" A skinny bald man walked in wearing an open button up shirt, singlet and shorts carrying a pair of shopping bags. He had a scraggly looking grumpig at his side. The man looked at us in confusion and widened his eyes at Roxie and her police vest.

"I…uh…should I just?" He unsteadily asked pointing to the door. The grumpig's eyes hardened, Roxie responded in doing the same. I stood up and walked to the door.

"No, we were just going." I stood up and waddled past them to the entrance, Bear and Roxie looked at me skeptically before following. I stopped in the doorway before leaving, putting on a deeper tone.

"Now before I leave I'm going to warn you. Buying the products to make bootleg rare candy is not a crime but making it is a serious one. I'm guessing you learned how to make it in prison. Why you take advice from anyone in prison an enigma all of its own. If I were you, I would get take the receipt, go back to the stores and get a refund. There's enough R candy on the street, we don't need anymore. Goodbye." I smiled, waved and exited, I could hear Roxie's voice entering my head. With Bear looking at me with a questioning look in his eyes.

"We just let drug makers go?" She questioned with disdain dripping from her words. I stared down at her.

"I took a look in their bags and they weren't making anything legal. But we can't do anything for now." I retorted, we got back to the car, just in time for my phone to ring.

"This is Sergeant Macauley speaking." I could hear the lispy voice of professor Jarrah on the other end.

"Ah yeth, I took a look at that hair you found. It appearth to belong to a lopunny. That'th all I can find from it detective. Need anything elthe?" That was good, we had a significant narrowing of what we were looking for.

"No, that's good. Thank you professor, bye." I took my mobile away from my ear.

"Hope you find what you're looking for thergeant." I hung up and plugged the coordinates of The Castle into the GPS. A cheap restaurant selling cheap greasy takeaway food. There was an issue in that the CCTV was broken. So Randall didn't have a solid alibi as of now. Asking employees didn't help much either. None could recognise a red headed man who walked in. We left empty handed, I plugged in coordinates to the Police Headquarters.

"Tell me officers, why does a young man take a bipedal Pokémon to a cheap hotel room apparently lying to both his girlfriend and best friend?" Depending on his response I could tell how much he knew about the criminal underworld.

"Prostitution…sir?" Bear looked at me with confusion, I took out my phone.

"Before I was in the Major Crime Squad I was involved in the Organised Crime Squad. What I learnt is that there are two types of pokémon escort services available. The legal kind, which is basically just cuddling and dancing. Soft-core stuff, usually by poképhiliacs who want to get their dosage of pokélove without going to prison. Then you have the illegal kind." That's a Buneary hole for a different time.

"So what do you think this is then?" Bear asked. We were nearing the station, Roxie stayed quiet. Probably still angry with me for letting Randall and his mate off easy. If they admitted to wanting to make drugs, I would have. Buying ingredients isn't enough for a solid case.

"We go back to the station and get the poké ball. I know someone who could help us." We did that, having to do some paper filing for taking the ball out of evidence. The location we drove to was much to the confusion of Bear and Roxie. I lead them to a pokémon daycare.

"Who are we looking for sergeant?" Bear stated. I was keeping him in the dark because I wanted to see his reaction. I had my doubts who I was looking for would be here. He wanders quite a bit. My eyes caught onto the figure of a Gardevior leaping over the fence of the daycare. Upon landing dusted himself off and adjusted the strap of his leather satchel. I approached the pokémon who had a happy smile on his pearl white face. I waved towards the fairy/ phycic type who waved back.

"Gardevior?" The voice of the pokémon was sweet and innocent as he looked up at me with a questioning look. It was a very feminine feel to the voice complimented by the body and green hair. That enchanting look wasn't fooling me.

"I know it's you Dominique." I stated, the gardevior chuckled and straightened out his dress and hair.

"Guess I need to work on my captivate. Haven't seen you in a while. How are you Macky?" The voice was not what people expected coming from a Gardevior. Changing to smooth and masculine in the suave dashing fashion. It was complimented by a thick Kalosian accent. I could hear the gasp of Bear and a surprised 'car?' from Roxie, to the fact Dominique could talk like a regular human.

"You know, been better." I presented him my cane, that's when Dominique looked down to my leg brace and hissed in pain. I lifted up my fedora to show him my forehead scar, and pulled my sleeve for the one on my wrist.

"Been through the wars I see." He smiled as I went to ask him the same question. But being a physic type he probably guessed it already.

"Well, you know me. Travelling around. Digging up dirt. Making trainers wonder why their pokémon are having eggs without leaving them a mate. Satisfying ladies like no tomorrow. Just got finished. There was this cute gastrodon chick and we just…"

"Yes I'm sure it was great. Now I need your help with something." I cut him off, trying not to have his portrayed images taint my imagination anymore than they needed to.

"Ok…who's muscles and beautiful?" He finally caught onto Bear and Roxie standing behind me. Bear awkwardly chuckled while Roxie just glared at Dominique in a mixture of embarrassment and disgust.

"These are my new partners Detective Constable Joseph Bear and Roxie. Officers this is Dominique, professional gardevior and sometimes criminal." I met Dominique when I was in the Organised Crime Squad. He gave an anonymous tip off to some drug deals. Turns out said gang caught onto this and were about to kill him when we raided them. I saved his life. It felt like a knight saving a maiden in distress, until he told me he had something else under that white dress.

"I see your politeness hasn't changed Macky. I prefer the description rogue." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the poké ball. He instantly took it off me and began closely eyeing it.

"Context?" He asked, as he flipped it open and stared into its interior.

"Found it alongside a corpse in the Mirror Motel. The fur in the room belonged to a lopunny. Possible prostitution if nothing else, work your magic." He felt around the inside, looking like he was doing something he knew about. He handed it back to me.

"Here put me inside of it. But let me out!" The last words were more of a threat. I did as he said, tapping the ball on his forehead, in a flash of light he was gone. I turned to look at my colleagues. Bear opened his mouth, but I beat him to it.

"If you want to know why I know him. It's a long story. I involves stuffed toys and narcotics." It did. Criminals were sneaking in small packets of drugs into toy pokémon dolls and distributing them.

We went to a nearby bench and sat down. After what felt like long enough I hit the button on the ball. Dominique stretched out as soon as he appeared. He stroked his smooth chin and hummed in thought, staring intently at the ball.

"Well it did have a self release mechanism. Something common for these business's, with some other features. You know so they have a more…relaxing experience in their ball." He picked up the ball and slid it into his satchel. He turned towards us.

"How about I ask around for tonight, and I call you tomorrow? Your phone number hasn't changed has it?" Another strange thing about Dominique was that he did live an almost human life. Helps when he has opposable thumbs and fingers. Or whatever made up his appendages that acted like fingers.

"Yeah do that. You get your tip if you get results." I enforced the pact we agreed on. He shadily smiled and shrugged.

"Have I ever let you down Macky?" That was debatable. He has given results but sometimes they were ones I didn't need, or irrelevant details.

"Whatever, talk to you tomorrow Dominique." He winked, waved and quickly walked off. We both made our way back to the car. When we got in the sun was going down, and I turned to the others.

"If either of you call me Macky…I will shoot you."


	5. Amongst Pokémon

Amongst Pokémon

Usual daily routine, not much else changed exempt different news stories on television. Today it was arguing over how hard we should crackdown on risk candy. One debater explained how ignorance should be a valid excuse. The other argued we don't come down hard enough. It was followed by a story about trade disputes between Kanto and Hoenn. There were also reports of missing pokémon cases beginning to rise. I did the norm of placing a hot breakfast and coffee in my belly. Today I had to arrange a taxi for work due to Gobb needed to lead a TRG raid the night before. First I asked Bear, turns out he didn't own a car. He rode his bike to work. However unlike Gobb who arrived at work on the dot. I managed to get to work early as I used to before my leg injury. I usually drove to work but with my right leg disabled it would be torture to do so. My car hadn't been touched since my encounter with the Zoroark.

When I did get to work I began laying out all the evidence in front of me and setting up a whiteboard for the brainstorm. Bad drawings and incomplete leads later it was complete, just in time for Bear and Roxie to walk into the office. We immediately began the discussion.

"The door bothers me. No sign of forced entry, no access to a key and it was found open by the cleaning lady. Your thoughts?" I pointed out a photograph of the motel room I had magnetised to the white board.

"Maybe he accidentally left the door open? Just happened to let the murderer in." Bear responded. Roxie was sitting on a chair in the background, sternly watching the day go by with the constant office noises.

"What Duke said might be true but we both know we can't trust everything he said. Surely if Todd was going to do what he was going to do. He would have made sure to lock the door. I would have anyway." Bad choice of language as both Roxie and Bear looked at me with suspicion.

"It's good to step into the shoes of these people. It really helps." We went back to debating various aspects of the murder. The door however never left my mind. Other theories included what if the killer was in the room already. Maybe they used a lock pick. What if they managed to steal the key and return it later? What if the pokémon in that pokéball was the killer, and that other evidence was planted? One outlandish theory was that the cleaning lady herself was the murderer. My second and third coffee's later my mobile rang. It was Dominique's number, which I affectionately labelled as 'Garde-Whore'. This was in response to him labeling my contact as 'Grumpy Ass'.

"Results Dominique?" I was met with silence, with a light mumbling and some rustling noises.

"Uh what?…oh right, yeah the lopunny. I did a little bit of digging, I'm popular in this business Macky. Everyone loves me here. For this however I would like to talk to you in person…" I could hear tired and lusty poké-speech in the background. Dominique's voice moved away.

"Not now sweet cheeks, I'm working. Anyway how about an hour from now you meet me at the cafe in Rulers Park? We will…" He was cut off again by frustrated nagging of whatever pokémon he was with. I'm guessing begging for his attention.

"I'm not ignoring you I'm just a little busy right now…I prefer somewhere public to talk these findings. I have some…" He was cut off again, this time he voice was muffled, with a sloppy noise overtaking it. Good thing the office was loud, otherwise I would have shot myself in embarrassment. I would have to walk to do that seeing I didn't have my gun on my hip.

"Sorry about that, but I have some good info you might like. That sound good Macky?" Suddenly he was cut off again by the sound of various sensual noises. Both by him and an unknown but female pokémon…Unless I was wrong about him being straight as a line.

"Sounds good see you there." I hung up as to not endure any more of that audible poison. I turned back to Roxie and Bear.

"How is he that popular with females?" Roxie telepathically entered my brain, probably able to overhear the conversation. I looked at her and shrugged.

"I don't know, ask one of his exes. Should be plenty of them around." Probably a quarter the female pokémon in kalgooma by this point. Another quarter of which he is probably still in bed with.

As we were leaving the locker room we ran into the TRG placing their gear back in the armoury. I waved at Gobb and he eventually spotted me and walked over. Removing his balaclava and showing his curved up moustache.

"Hey mates, where you lot off to?" He was still undressing as he spoke, ripping the velcro straps from his black kevlar vest.

"Rulers Park to meet an informant, how'd the raid go?" Gobb chuckled as he pulled the vest over his head and placed it on a nearby table.

"Well, the briefing said the house was used to make drug deals. Low-level stuff like leaves but said to have R candy. House belonged to the dealer himself. We went in expecting to find drugs as of usual. heh, we open up the door to his bedroom and find him with headphones on and watching some jigglypuffs. Porn, with headphones so loud he didn't hear us enter." He began an uncontrolled fit of the giggles grabbing the table for support.

"The…The look of utter horror on his face when Hanna tapped him on the shoulder." Other TRG officers who overheard his chucking joined him. He pointed out a woman in the squad who was also laughing.

"Bloody priceless." Gobb spat in between his nonstop laughing. Bear joined in while it brought a smile to my lips. Roxie continued her look of stoicism. Eventually Gobb managed to control himself, still a bright smile painted on his face.

"So you know, the usual stuff. Anyway my shift is over I'm going home after this. See you three later." We went outside and got in the car, heading straight for Ruler's park.

Ruler's Park is an inner city park over five square kilometres in area. Most of which was covered in heavy bushland. Lots of wild pokémon still called the place home. The cafe in the park's centre was a popular trainer hangout and family gathering spot. Displaying a great view of the city from the top of a hill. Also selling overpriced food and coffee. While I sat at a park bench, my partners stood around, both looking vigilant. I ordered them to leave our belts in the car and that any sign of us being police removed. Without her vest Roxie still looked intimidating with her facial scar. Meanwhile Bear's head was moving to try and look least suspicious as possible. He is not the type I would send on undercover missions, he still had his shirt tucked in. I spotted Dominique running towards us with his messenger bag swinging and his face expressing panic. I could deduct the reason for said emotions were a pursuing man and a hitmonlee. I stood up and waved my cane. His face lit up and he made a beedrill line towards us. He came to a sliding stop centimetres from me handing me a pokéball. Proceeding to repeatedly tap his forehead. Frantically yelling in pokéspeech.

"GardgardgardgardgardGARDEOIR!" I tapped the ball against his forehead, and he disappeared in a flash of light. By now his two pursuers had caught up. The man arrived, immediately grabbing my shirt collar. The hitmonlee also arrived huffing and puffing. The man wore a white baseball cap and red T-shirt, along with torn blue jeans. He was roughly mid 20s or thereabout with brown hair and a slim lanky build. His eyebrows angled and teeth bearing in anger.

"You better hand over that fucking pokémon or I will…" I silenced him by whipping out my badge, his face turned pale. His hitmonlee also looked shocked, starting to back away. I put on a calm, growling tone.

"You have committed common assault by physically touching me without my consent. That can land you a thirty-six thousand dollar fine or up to three years in prison. Now I'm going to guess you would have finished that sentence with a threat of violence. Also can lead to up to three years in prison. That's not including the fact I count as a public servant, thus adding some more time. So I'm going to give you ten-seconds to walk away before my partner's over there put you in handcuffs. One, two…" He let go of me, proceeding to fast walk away. I raised my voice after him.

"Three! Four! They can run you know!" He began running, the hitmonlee looked on and shouted in panic as he went to catch up with his trainer. I took out my handkerchief to wipe his spit off my face. I turned to see Roxie and Bear looking at me.

"That, officers is how you intimidate. You don't have to threat, you just need to make it sound scary enough they panic. That is why the badge is the most important part of an officers kit." After making my way back to the bench I opened the ball. Dominique formed out, immediately collapsing to the grass and heavily breathing, looking up at me with a cheeky grin.

"Oh thank Arceus you were here Macky. He was…woo." He wiped his sweat drenched green hair out of his face and tiredly waved towards Roxie and Bear.

"Friend of yours?" I asked, he started laughing which evolved into breathless, hoarse coughing.

"No um…more like ex business associate. I might have sold him a fake evolution stone which, from reading his thoughts, he gifted to his girlfriend. That's why he's an ex business associate." He stood up and sat down next to me, I immediately scooted away from him. I held the ball in his face.

"Oh yeah about that…did a little asking around, as I said I'm popular with the clubs and brothels. Heh, I managed to find the origin of the ball, most likely belongs to the Fur and Feather. Popular club that lets people hire legal pokémon escorts. The lopunny herself…uh it's complicated." I did the same tactic I did with Terry Duke and continued to look him directly in his scarlet eyes. I had heard of the Fur and Feather before, but didn't know much about the place.

"Ok so the place has a few…and I only managed to talk to one. Good friend of mine and one of the employees, he has set up a…" Bear butted into the conversion.

"Wait hold on…he?" Good to see he was paying attention, Dominique smiled and gestured to himself.

"Hey, you ever seen the bits of a pokémon before, we all look the same exempt for down there. These places don't seem to care what gender their employees are, just they look good and they keep people entertained. Because pokéiality isn't strictly enacted, the client never finds out. An example being…" Dominique took out a comb and smoothed out his hair. Proceeded to cross his legs, lean back and half lid his eyes giving a seductive smile.

"Gardevior…" He feminised and drawled his poké-speech to sound sultry with an aura of attractiveness forming around him. Bear continued to look on in unmoving captivation while Roxie's face didn't change, but her tail swished ever so subtly.

"See what I mean, does anyone look at a gardevior and think 'that's a man'. Can't count how many times I've been meowth called. I probably recycled several forests worth of paper with horny males phone numbers." He sat normally. I took the opportunity to scoot further away from him.

"Anyway, back on track…He has talked around, by the way Macky that's an extra fee. We narrowed it down to one. But she only wants to speak with a pokémon, in an isolated environment. We managed to arrange a meeting. You see the club's pokémon get released every so often for exercise. One time is today. Conveniently they take them here." He continued, he gestured out into the forest.

"So unless you have another pokémon with you, I'll take Roxie to where she is." I wouldn't blame Roxie for not wanting to go with Dominique. He was more slippery than an ekans.

"It's you choice." I said to Roxie and Bear, Bear leaned down on Roxie's level and they had a whispering conversation, Bear was the only one who opened his mouth. It ended with her licking his nose. Roxie turned around.

"I'll go." She injected into my mind, as she went over to Dominique who got down from the park bench.

"We'll be about half an hour or so, depends on how happy the lopunny is to have this." Dominique explained, they began walking side by side as they entered the forest. I got an idea.

"Hold on a tick." I waddled back to the car, reached into the glove box and took out a device a little longer than my hand. I also scribbled down a list of questions to ask the witness. I came back, giving the metal object and piece of notebook paper to the lucario.

"Recording device, hit that button to record, that button to stop. You can translate it later. That's the questions to ask her, if you can think of any more say them." She gazed down at the device and paper before nodding. With Bear sternly giving an 'I'm watching you' gesture aimed at Dominique. They then disappeared into the tree line. I stood up and began limping towards the cafe.

"I'm getting a coffee, want anything?"

(With the Pokémon)

Roxie kept an eye on the Gardevior she was following. Both silent as they made their way around towering trees and over low shrubs. The leaves letting in slits and windows of sunlight onto the forest floor. The singing and calls of various pokémon echoed around them. Their feet breaking the tranquility with crunching against the fallen leaves, bark and grass. Roxie's paws weren't used to the feeling. Her sensitive nose took in the fresh smell of the wild, the smell being just as overwhelming as the city. Her aura could also detect various movements around them. She also felt scared in doing this. Not because of the handsome, suave but debauched pokémon before her. She wasn't scared that she was in the wild without her stab vest on. But she realised she wasn't a talker. What if she said something that offended the witness? What if she got angry and threatened the witness? What if she did something that botched the investigation? She was scared about failing Bear.

"I can tell you're scared, don't be I will be with you the whole way." Dominique said in poké-speech, Roxie turned and hardened her eyes.

"That doesn't help." She growled, Dominique defensively held up his elegant hands and backed away.

"Hey, that's all I'm trying to do ok." They went back to an awkward silence, continuing to trek through the wilderness. Roxie looked back and didn't see the area they came from, but could still hear some reminiscence of civilisation. In form of an airplane going overhead.

"Hey we have plenty of time, there's a berry bush over there if you want to…" Dominique pointed out a red berry bush to his left, diverting them off the current path.

"No." Roxie firmly stated, a few seconds of silence followed the pair, until Dominique spoke up again.

"You know it's quite hot, there's a stream over there we could…" Dominique waved to a nearby stream that both of them could hear.

"No." Roxie restated followed my more silence, Dominique stopped and looked back at Roxie with a smile.

"Or we could." Roxie bared her teeth and waved up her arm, the spikes on the back of her hands turning into three sharp metal claws.

"Ok I will actually shut up now." Dominique's eyes widened and fixated on the blades, Roxie put them away and the pokémon duo continued to move. Dominique stopped as they reached a clearing. He reached into his satchel and took out his phone, looking at the time.

"She should be here any moment now, mind you she might be late." Roxie stood looking through the undergrowth with vigilance. Meanwhile Dominique sat on a fallen tree reaching into his satchel. A pencil and notebook emerged, Dominique silently scribbled down something. Roxie didn't mind its purpose before an approaching aura pulled her away. Rustling of leaves and the crunching of the ground followed. Emerging from the bush was a lopunny, wearing a black leather collar. With the hair on its long ears stylishly made into braids. She had an annoyed expression on her face, and twitching eyes. Roxie didn't need her Aura to tell she didn't want to be here.

"Ok let's make this quick, boss doesn't like us getting back late." The lopunny was carrying around a small brown paper bag, Roxie flicked on the recorder.

"Good morning Nikki, Nikki meet Roxie, Roxie meet Nikki." Dominique introduced the two females, Roxie continued to stand at attention while Nikki rolled her eyes and relaxed on a tree stump. Roxie took note of the lopunny scratching her skin, with the little nicks on parts of her skin. Especially on her wrists and paws. Roxie's aura picking up the slight itching sensation in the lopunny's mind.

"Yeah whatever stooge, lets begin." Nikki stuck her furry cream and brown hand into the bag, taking out what appeared to be lollies and stuffed them into her mouth. Roxie's ears perked up and eyes widened when she caught the smell. Nikki let out a satisfied groan.

"That's some good stuff." Bootleg rare candy, Roxie could deduce the reasons for the small tufts of missing fur and small scratches, along with the constant itching. Roxie made sure to have the recorder close to the interview, taking out the list of questions. Trying to ignore the scent of drugs.

"Ok…Nikki, what were you doing on Friday night?" Roxie tried to imitate the same low intimidating voice of Macauley. While she got the intimidating part, it didn't have the same demanding tone to it. Or the permanent smell of coffee.

"I was working bitch, what do you think I was doing?" She said sarcastically, Roxie kept her hand at bay to not instantly slap Nikki. The lucario recomposed herself and took calming, deep breaths.

"You are going to have to give me more detail, what did you do that day?" Roxie said in a much calmer voice, Nikki teasingly smiled before continuing in a sarcastic tone.

"Ok, well I woke up in the morning, then I…" Roxie growled and slammed her paw into a nearby three, leaving a noticeable dent in it with splinters flying. She threateningly pointed at the lopunny.

"Will you take the question seriously for fuck sake!" Nikki looked ready to stand run, meanwhile Dominique didn't stop his scribbling. Not seeming to care for the acts going on before him. Roxie took a few deep breaths.

"Ok I'm sorry, how about we start at the afternoon of Friday? And please try and be professional about this, we are trying to solve a murder." The lopunny relaxed again as the two of them got back on track. Roxie's aura showing how Nikki was genuinely scared at the lucario's actions.

"Yep ok uh…It was a usual day, we were getting picked for different customers. Based on preferences and price, I'm a medium price myself. These legs I should be one of the most expensive. Anyway, late in the night a young man came in and chose me, I was placed in my ball. What I felt is that we got in a car, I'm pretty sure someone was talking to him as well…Hold on." Nikki reached into her paper bag again and scoffed down some more R candy. Roxie's aura feeling the release of dopamine coming from the lopunny's brain.

"Dominique you need to hit me up with whoever produces this, this is the best R I've had in a while. Anyway, so I could feel we moved out of the car. Next thing I was released into a hotel room of some kind." She stopped as her eyes darted a bit and she nibbled on one of her fingers, and continued as if the conversation never stopped.

"I got a good look at the man who I was entertaining. Bright red hair, quite handsome too which was a nice change. Should see the average client, fat, greasy and middle aged. However apart from that, I was going to do my routine…I can't remember anymore." Roxie looked down at the piece of paper, at the bottom it read 'you've seen me interview before, think of something I would say.'

"Why do you not remember anything?" Roxie asked, Nikki stopped and her eyes moved a bit, with a thoughtful hum leaving her mouth.

"The last thing I remember is I was on a street somewhere, close enough to get back to work. I just went there instead." Roxie looked around trying to figure out another question.

"You are sure you don't remember anything from that night? Was there a reason you can't?" Roxie continued. The lopunny lazily looked the lucario directly in the eyes.

"If I could remember I would tell you. It was dark, blurry with quite a lot of screaming. I also did hurt quite a lot, right here." Nikki lowered her head, pointing out a spot to Roxie's right. A fist-sized clump of hair was missing. She also saw some claw marks.

"My head just hurt overall, also I had a bruise right here." She moved aside some fur around her left eye, showing very little resemblance of bruising. Like a black eye.

"I see." Roxie looked back down at the piece of paper, one of the questions being 'door left open?'

"Was there chance the door was left open?" Suddenly Nikki's ears perked up as she tapped her own head, with her eyes tightly shut.

"Ah it's on the tip of my tongue…maybe. I might have opened the door or not, its been a while." It's been three days, four if the murder was committed before midnight. Roxie looked back down at the list 'claw marks?'

"Do know why the victim had claw marks on his back?" The lopunny shrugged, then clicked her fingers and pointed at Roxie in excitement.

"Ember!…Ok so there's a blaziken called Ember who works at the Fur and Feather. She has a tendency to leave a mark on customers with her claws. Just a bit of fun for her, I think she finds it like…I don't know. She's weird like that." Roxie found this interesting, meaning that Todd had been to the escort service before. She looked down at the paper, it reading 'DOOR?' again for a reason she didn't question.

"You sure you can't remember anything about the door?" Roxie asked again, this time her aura picked up the desperate thinking of the lopunny.

"Still nothing hun." She said, Roxie looked down at the list and realised she had asked everything Macauley had written down.

"Thank you for your cooperation Nikki, we might need to contact you again in the course of the investigation. So can you provide a way to contact you?" Roxie asked, the Lopunny stood up went to walk away.

"Just go to the Fur and Feather and ask for me." Roxie turned off the recorder and the lopunny went and stretched upwards. Roxie however continued talking.

"This is a question not relating to the case but why do you work as an escort?" Nikki was caught off guard by the question, she awkwardly shrugged.

"Why not?" Roxie's aura senses tingled, she could detect the lopunny was hiding something.

"You're a lopunny, a pokémon known for battling. You have so much potential yet you live a life of this. Why?" Roxie pressed her question with a hint of anger, Dominique's eyes darted up to the two females.

"Listen here hun, I used to be a trainer's pet. But he started giving me the R stuff, and one day he releases me. I needed a fix, I was so desperate I would have ripped someone's head off if it meant R was given. Conveniently I got approached with a simple deal, work and get some R candy and a home in return. That's what makes up most of the club, pokémon desperate for a fix now…Bye bye." Nikki winked before heading back into the forest, Dominique packed up his writing/drawing equipment.

"You get angry that quickly often?" The gardevior asked, Roxie's ears flattened defensively before coming up to normal again.

"Yes." Roxie swiped up the recording device before they both headed back in the direction of where they came from.

"That thing she said about the drugs…She wouldn't come out here unless I gave her some…just saying." Dominique awkwardly explained. Roxie nodded in understanding. They continued for a while without a word. They could both see civilisation coming closer, Dominique broke the silence.

"You know from that interview I can tell a lot about you…I can tell that scar was no accident and more…I just want to know you that…" Dominique's air was cut off when two paws violently press down on his neck, forcing him up against a tree. Despite Roxie being shorter than him she could still lift him off the ground. Her eyes glowed a blue tinge, which slowly faded with realisation. She let go of him, Dominique fell to the ground, coughing and rubbing his neck. Looking up at the lucario towering over him in shock. She opened her mouth.

"…" Without a word she ran off in the direction of an overweight man and a handsome man, both with a take-away cup in hand.

(POV change again)

"That was how the first and only chapter of Kalgooma's Team Rocket was brought down." I was telling a story to Bear when I was in the Organised Crime Squad. This time about Team Rocket set up in Kalgooma for a short time. A task force was set up to take it down, I was on said task force.

"So there's no more Team Rocket in Kalgooma?" Bear asked. He held a hot tea while I sipped on a smooth and milky latte.

"Not officially…well it's been a while, they could be working in the shadows. We only got Team Chains to worry about as of now." Team Chains was the regional organised crime group. Often working in the poorer areas of Kalgooma they are easily identified by their decorated leather jackets, beards and tattoos. The problem with tackling them was they were decentralised, taking down one small group never leads to others. Also they usually have legal fronts to earn money.

"Do you think they'll be back?" Bear continued to feed his curiosity. The police had to work alongside the Kalgooma Society for the Prevention of Pokémon Cruelty (A very long name, always referred to as the KSPPC). Having advertisements for information, sending in undercover agents (which I was one) and lots of raids. Even after a year of conflict Rocket was like a cancer. We could take it down but it would always come back worse than ever. The only time it stopped was after 'Operation Red' in the Kanto region. This gave way for Team Rocket to shatter. Some tried to continue in remnants of the old team while others formed their own gangs from the ashes. Eventually Team Rocket influence in Kalgooma just died off or got absorbed by Team Chains.

"Maybe, Nothing's stopping them…Roxie's back." I pointed out the blue canine fast walking towards us. Bear leant forward and pet under her ear, Roxie leant into it with a warm smile. I turned my head up to see Dominique in the tree line, rubbing his neck. He waved and I returned it.

We were back at the station, typing up a transcript of the interview. Roxie's eyes dropped to the floor in embarrassment when she raised her voice. Bear comforted her however with a scratch behind the ears. When we were done we printed off two copies and got to work with highlighters. Pokémon testimonies as evidence were usually stated to be weak. But they were damned helpful in the right circumstances.

"Still nothing on the door." I was disgruntled at that result, still teasing me in this damned investigation. I was beginning to lean to the idea that Todd left the door open.

"Now if this is correct. The scars mean that Todd had been to the Fur and Feather before. The second voice means someone was with him. Also what Nikki said about how she couldn't remember. What if she was confused?" I was impressed that he had kept up to me in the analysation of the interview. I gestured him to elaborate.

"Some pokémon have moves that can confuse both people and pokémon. It messes up their brain functions and memory, which can lead to them making stupid decisions. Now from the mark on the Lopunny's face, it must have been physical. I did a little research and it must have been something like dynamic punch." Bear continued to explain, currently we were sharing my cubicle, a bit of a tight fit with the both of us in swivel chairs. Also painful, with my bad leg always hitting something.

"Right and what pokémon can use that move?" He was using the Internet on his phone because I was using my desktop. I didn't want him crowding up my office space by bringing over his PC.

"Quite a lot of them sergeant." Roxie was sitting at one of the common tables, watching as we both fumbled over each other to reach pens and constantly knocking into each other.

"The wound could be unrelated however. Look up to see if nidoqueens and grumpigs are capable." I was writing all this down, sipping a coffee in between sentences. Bear rapidly thumbed his smart phone.

"Yes, both of them are capable. Grumpigs can also use confuse ray for a similar effect, but no physical damage." His eyes narrowed at me, I looked back at him and our eyes connected.

"Sergeant are you accusing both Randall and Peggy of killing…" I cut him off.

"Leave no one out Bear. Everyone's guilty until proven innocent is my motto. But first I feel we need to pay a visit to someone." I went to stand up, at the exact same time Bear did. Our embarrassing tango and mumbling of apologies ended with us both falling. This would have been more painful for me but Bear cushioned my fall. While my leg throbbed.

"Bear, when we finish this investigation you are moving your cubicle to me." I hissed while awkwardly lying on top of him. Meanwhile Roxie while keeping an unrelenting mouth, had eyes of entertainment. After recovering with a coffee and some rest, we hit the street with a certain person in mind. When we got there we knocked on the door to the flat. The skinny man who responded was wearing a uniform for a supermarket chain. With blonde hair and was quite alarmed to see us upon opening the door.

"Good evening Mr Duke. Do you mind if come down to the station for a chat?"


	6. Good Cop, Crippled Cop

Good Cop, Crippled Cop

Duke hadn't moved from the desk since we put him in the small interrogation room. Acting like his hands were secured to the table, he entertained himself by nervously tapping on the cold metal. Every few seconds he moved his head and eyes. Observing the empty and claustrophobic grey room. Alongside Roxie and Bear I sat on the other side of a two-way mirror. We were leaving him for a few minutes as a psychological trick. The goal was to make him feel unnerved by making him feel powerless, isolated and bored. KPOL slang referred to this as stewing.

"You want to do this?" I asked Bear, Bear turned and cocked an eyebrow as he looked at me.

"Shouldn't you do this and I watch?" This was Bear's first real interrogation. While the average officer would have to do an interrogation, this one involved murder. This would be a trial by fire for Bear.

"This is just some minor details, I will get involved when we meet a real suspect. Call this a taste, show me what you can do. I will be sitting next to you but you will do all the talking." With that he stood up and disappeared somewhere into the headquarters. Good to see he was preparing. When he reappeared he was holding two coffee cups, one with tea, the other of water.

"You stay here girl." He calmly stated to Roxie with a reassuring smile, the lucario responded with a nod. I opened the door and we entered. I sat down in a chair near the desk, but not at it.

"Hello Mr Duke, sorry for the wait. Would like some of water?" Bear opened with a nice and comforting introduction. Terry looked up startled but calmed once he saw whom it was.

"Ah, yes please." The water was offered to Terry who gently took it from Bear. The constable placed himself in a chair across from Duke. I checked the camera was recording, now for the fun to begin.

"So Mr Duke, how has your day been?" Good keeping the trend of building up a friendly connection. The offering of water also helped keep this going.

"It's been good I guess. I've been trying not to focus on the fact Todd is dead. I just got back from work before you visited me." This either was a successful mistake by Bear or him genuinely doing a good job.

"I see you work at a supermarket, what role?" The ensuring question led to a good follow up of questions.

"You know, shelf staking and till operations…Simple stuff." Duke continued doing a light shrug, I could tell where Bear was taking this.

"Cool, I used to work as at a pokémart myself." That was a great move, relating to the witness to open them up a bit more.

This would continue on for about half an hour. Back and forth small talk with lots of mundane and basic questions and answers. Involving life, pokémon, sport and other small talk topics. While it was boring it was necessary for a proper interview/interrogation. I could however tell when the question was coming up when Bear began shifting his gaze to me. Probably trying to look at me for guidance. I gave him a subtle nod. The tone in Bear's voice changed from friendly to serious in the next question. His face falling dead serious.

"Were you at the Fur and Feather on Friday?" The forming grin slowly drooped off Terry as his eyes continued to widen. His mouth remained open surprise.

"I…uh…um." He was taken off guard, just what we needed. I handed Bear a file which contained the annotated testimony of his last interview. This was with some screenshots we got from the Rebellious Magikarp's CCTV, of him, Todd and two others.

"Terry, we have reason to believe that you during your first interview you weren't telling us everything you and Todd did on Friday night. Now we are giving you a second chance to confirm a few things. Would you please clear up your story?" The sweat coming down Terry's head was shining a beacon of suppressed panic. His eyes constantly darted at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact with Bear.

"Mr Duke, we have ways to corroborate these things. If we find something different you can be charged with perverting the course of justice." Bear's threats were an extra layer of pressure on a dam holding the truth. I could tell it was going to crack.

"Yes." He broke with a squeaking noise, from now on it will be much easier to extract information.

"Yes, what?" Bear asking leaning forward crossing his arms on the desk.

"Yes Todd and I went to the Fur and Feather on Friday night." This was to make sure when the evidence was played to anyone it won't get confusing. Also gives defence lawyers less to use as leverage. Bear leaned back into his chair. A brief silence followed as Bear stared at an uncomfortable Terry.

"So what happened?" Bear leant forward, placing his hands on the desk a second time. Terry moved his hands up to his face to an almost praying position.

"We went out that night as usual, had fun going drinking at the Rebellious Magikarp. But at the end of the night I dropped the others home." His pupils were darting up into the corner of his eyes, representing he was trying to remember.

"I thought you said you went alone?" Another way we knew he was lying was the CCTV. When we checked it there were two more people. This signalled Bear to apply more pressure. However this could be bad due to derailing the current chain of questions.

"I…there were two others." Dukes' voice stammered, as he moved his hands from the desk to his sides.

"We will get back to that. Keep going with the current events." Bear got his question back on track.

"So when the others went home, we drove to the Fur and Feather. I was the designated driver for the night. I honestly didn't mind Todd's tastes but I promised him I would keep them a secret. We have been friends since primary school, so he trusted me. I went in with him and we chose a pokémon. A lopunny I think? Anyway I dropped him off at the Mirror Motel, around eleven-ish. Then went home." Duke placed his head in his hands, and leant on the table. Bear angled his head to look at me. I gestured him to keep going.

"I take it Peggy doesn't know about this?" Bear asked placing sitting fully upright with his hands on his thighs. Terry shook his head. Terry leant on into his hands.

"No…I promised to keep it a secret…That's broken now." Todd mumbled out, Bear took a sip of his tea and carried on with the interview.

"Who were the people you were with?" Todd slid his hands down his face as he resumed eye contact with Bear.

"There was John Booker and Phil Keys, both friends of me and Todd." I took out my notebook and wrote the names down.

"Anything else we should know about?" Bear asked the final question, to which Duke shook his head in response. Bear took a gulp of tea and closed the file in front of him. Smiling towards Duke.

"Thanks for your time Mr Duke we will contact you if need be." All three of us walked out of the room, Duke wiping the sweat off his forehead with his own shirt. We let him go home.

I congratulated Bear on the interview, offering something from the station canteen for dinner, which he declined. He gave Roxie a rub on the forehead and we went back to my desk. Looking up the other two people now involved. The good thing was both had criminal offences. John Booker, age 21, has been convicted of possessing drugs. Got off with a $4,000 fine. Apart from that however just some minor traffic offences. Phil Keys only had one mark on his record. A very big and black mark on a pure clean record. He was accused of assault causing grievous bodily harm, leaving the other man with brain damage. However, it instead became self defence after it was concluded the other man assaulted him first. The other man was his boyfriend, who after a while of paranoia thought Phil was seeing other people. This led up to a rage induced fight were Phil hit him with a beer bottle. His boyfriend hit the pavement, which lead to severe brain damage. The rest of the record for Phil was completely clean. No traffic offences or other minor crimes. Even I had gone down a hill too fast and was caught by the speed camera. John had several registered pokémon, one being a poliwrath which could learn dynamic punch, and some other pokémon. While I was doing this Bear was dictating the interview down on paper. We went home for the night.

 _ **THE FOLLOWING DAY**_

"Why don't we go to the Fur and Feather to get the CCTV footage? Could have something on it." Again back at the joint desk, still no less awkward than last time.

"You go do that. I'm not going." I returned, taking my eyes off the current analysation of the CCTV at the Rebellious Magikarp. While we watched it before, this time I was trying to find any smaller details.

"Why not?" Roxie was in her usual position sitting cross-legged on the floor nearby.

"Because I won't be known as the officer who got spotted at a club that offers pokémon escort services." I was watching the outside footage looking at the passing cars for nothing in particular.

"Who would know you there?" The two suspects we had now were Peggy, and Randall. I reasoned if Peggy knew this was going on she might kill Todd in rage. But this particular murder had planning, something crimes of passion didn't tend to do. Randall was also still a suspect, ex-cons tend to learn many things while in prison. He had plenty of time to plan. I turned to Bear for a lecture.

"Ok, if you don't know while there is the stereotype KSPPC is fully manned by poképhiles is seen as not true. It in fact is very. Now when I enter that place, they are going to try photograph me and they will put it up on the internet. Make a massive bullshit story saying I hired some escort. I will then be known as both a poképhile and a hypocrite." I hoped the brief narrative would get him off my back. He was persistent.

"Can't you just say we were doing an investigation or something, why hypocrite?" I swivelled fully in my chair to look at him, placing my arms on the armrests.

"While I was in organised crime we were doing a case, working alongside the poképhilia squad closing in on a pokémon sex ring. However one of the main leaders in the ring turned out to be a high up KSPPC member. One of the most renowned, and he spilt his guts on the whole thing. I went in undercover as a customer. Many of the other ring members were KSPPC members I photographed and named. We managed to bring down the reputation of the KSPPC in a day." His pupils darted while he clicked his fingers and pointed at me.

"Wasn't that the KSPPC Scandal eight years ago?" I nodded, and couldn't help but let a feeling of pride wash over me.

"Yep. However they know my face. Now I have a less than friendly relationship with them. They hate my guts. They also hate the Kalgooma Police Department for the same reason. But specifically me and the other detectives and officers involved in the case. While the KSPPC financially recovered very quickly, it pressured their CEO into resigning, made other organisations distance themselves and worse for them. Made us look like heroes. Time has not healed the scars on their reputation. That's why when we still refer to them as pokéfuckers. So you and Roxie can go if you wish just don't mention me. Call up Dominique if you want some help." After my story telling I went back to looking at the footage, still trying to find anything out of the ordinary.

"Ok we'll go." He unpleasantly manoeuvred his way out of the cubicle. I held back a hiss of pain as he tapped my bad knee. Roxie stood up and went alongside him.

"Good luck. Only take your badge and untuck your shirt." We traded waves before leaving the office. Did I feel comfortable letting him out into the field by himself? If he doesn't die, I'm relieved, if he gets info I will be happy. I switched to the tape of the Friday night prior.

(One drive later)

Bear pulled in a couple blocks away. He looked around nervously as he sat still in the drivers seat. He looked at his silver digital watch to see it was 4:30pm. Half an hour before the place officially opened. He looked in the rear view mirror to the image of Roxie patiently looking back at him. He took some heavy breaths. Putting his badge in his left breast pocket. He untucked his shirt and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. With one last determined growl he was on his way.

He vigilantly took in his surroundings, not knowing what he was looking for on the surface. But did have a list of people to look out for. All of which were people he knew. The last thing he wanted was his family being told he went to a pokémon club. He felt a bit better with Roxie at his side. He could see the place up ahead. A two-story building with caged windows and double doors. No queue of any sort. He reached the glass door and gave it a knock. He took a few steps back when the door was answered.

The first obstacle he identified was the intimidating machoke in the doorway. Said pokémon stood a few centimetres shorter than the detective constable. Bear knew the machoke could bend him in half with little effort. The machoke, wearing the species standard black briefs also wore plastic sunglasses and a black polo shirt. The polo shirt read in large white letters 'SECURITY' under the pokémon's muscular crossed arms. The shirt accompanied for the broad build of the pokémon. But was tight enough to show his muscular bulk.

"Machoke!" The bouncer pokémon pointed his large meaty fingers at the sign that read 'closed'. Bear professionally whipped out his badge. A product of hours practicing in front of a bathroom mirror.

"Kalgooma Police Force, I wish to speak with your boss." Bear pronounced looking down into the red eyes of the pokémon.

"Machoke mac choke oke." The pokémon had a voice of irritation, gesturing Bear to leave with a small wave. Bear looked down at Roxie for a translation.

"His boss doesn't want to speak to people like you." Roxie interpreted, Bear looked back at the pokémon who was sizing up to him.

"How about you go back there and ask him?" Bear raised his voice while flipping his badge shut and slipping it back into his pocket.

"What's the problem here?" A relaxed and cultivated male voice asked coming from within the building. Soon enough a man appeared. Tall and ruggedly handsome, appearing in his late fifties to early sixties, shown by his face wrinkles and grey stubble. With neat, grey combed back hair and well trimmed goatee. He wore a bold, grey plaid suit pants, tie and waistcoat. Contrasting with the purple button-up shirt underneath. A golden pocket watch shined from his waistcoat, with a shining ring on each hand. In his hand was a wooden cane topped with a golden sculpture of a blastoise skull. He fixed his silver thin framed, round glasses. The machoke pointed at Bear, whom again flicked out his badge. The detective's fingers slipped causing his badge to land to the new man's feet. The well-dressed man picked up the badge and studied it.

"Doesn't look like a drivers licence. How can I help you Detective Constable Joseph Bear?" The gentleman asked flipping the badge shut and handing it back to Bear.

"I need your CCTV footage Mister?" The suited man waved him in. The machoke stepped aside while giving Bear a stern glare. He closed the door behind the duo.

"Watt, Eric Watt, my office is through there." The room was gloomy and comfortably cool. The lights were not bright leaving many corners of the reception unknown to the detective. The walls were floor to ceiling covered in bright red, the floor covered in a deep red carpet. The roof was a brown red, out of wood. The smell was unfamiliar to Bear, smelling like expensive perfume and other musky stenches to invade his and his partner's nostrils. The room was air conditioned, contrasting to the heat of outside. The chairs were cushioned and low to the ground surrounding knee high glass toped tables. Aside from the machoke another pokémon occupied the room. A mr mime with a duster in one hand and spray bottle in the other. Moving from table to table. While it didn't look particularly happy Bear did take note that it looked well fed. Watt rested his cane on his shoulder, like he was holding a mace. The eyes of the golden blastoise skull looking in Bears direction. Roxie also looked around taking in the new atmosphere.

"So what bring you two here?" Watt asked, still looking forward as they crossed the room towards a door. The machoke was tailing the three of them.

"That's classified information Mr Watt." Bear also spotted a bar to the side. Glowing shelves showing the silhouettes of exotically shaped bottles and beverages.

"It's always with you lot isn't it?" Watt said rhetorically and humorously but also held a hint of annoyance. They reached the door with Watt taking the handle only to find it locked. He mumbled as he stuck his hand into his pocket, both Roxie and Bear could hear the sound of jingling keys. A smile out of sight of the two detectives formed on Watt's face as he removed his hand from his pocket. He turned to the officers.

"There's another way upstairs through here." Watt pointed to the curtained off part of a stage, he lead the way.

Entering behind the gold embroiled bold red curtains. The back stage area looked as both Bear and Roxie expected it to. Following Watt up the flight of stairs they reached the upstairs, he turned gave them a brief smile and looked forward again. The detective and lucario looked at each other in agreement to the club owner's sleaziness. When they reached the upper levels they came to what looked to be a changing room. Tiled floors and wooden benches lined in tow rows of two. Open showers stood in the room, looking like something out of a prison. Unlike the cool, rich atmosphere below, this room was humid and hard. Contrasting on the smooth light blue walls was a black wire rack holding at least thirty pokéballs. Each ball having a plastic labelled tag underneath.

They made it out to a hallway, Bear looking back to see the words 'girl's changing room' on the door. This made Bear scratch the back of his head and blush in embarrassment to the unexpected surprise but managed to hide it. That's what he thought at least. Eventually they reached an office. A large gold and wooden desk stood at the centre, decorated with an empty decanter, paperweights, phone, empty ashtray and laptop. What caught Bear's attention was the blank head bust, topped with a worn and faded red trainer cap. On the same pedestal was an open pokéball. The room itself had various artworks. The biggest and most centred being a dot painting of a snake like creature on a red background.

"Please take a seat." Mr Watt said, placing his cane on a rack in the centre of the table before sitting down.

"Oh no that won't be necessary sir we aren't going to be here for long. I just need some CCTV footage and we'll get out of your hair." Bear asked with an unsure smile, Watt sat down and gestured to the two seats across the desk.

"No please I insist. Mel over here can get it." Watt pointed at the machoke who nodded and exited the room. Bear followed Watt's suggestion and eased into the seat, Roxie kept standing.

"Officer may I know, which one of my pokémon does this concern?" Watt asked leaning back in his chair with his hands flat on the arm rests. Bear raised his eyebrows to the question.

"A lopunny by the name of Nikki" Bear responded, Watt rubbed his bearded chin in thought and nodded in confirmation.

"At least she's safe now, she didn't say anything to me about it." Slowly he shifted his gaze from Bear's eyes to the badge in Bear's breast pocket.

"Tell me Constable Joseph Bear do you know a Hamish Macauley by chance?" Bear was again shook by the question. Wondering how he should answer he slowly opened his mouth.

"No…why?" Watt smiled and nodded then returned his eyes to Bear's. He had the type of smile of reminiscence.

"No reason, I just wanted to know how the bastard's doing." His green eyes moved over to Roxie, still standing at the ready. Watt gestured to her.

"Rescue?" Watt looked back at Roxie who returned with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Bear looked back.

"Yeah." Watt pointed at Roxie more forcefully with a moving finger and leant his elbow on the desk.

"Scar gives it away, something that won't be received in battle. I also see those little marks below her fur indicating long term maltreatment. Along with the fact she is constantly on guard also shows that she is paranoid and or skittish. A side effect of both physical and mental abuse. Also from the distance from you she is quite protective and affectionate towards you. You both share a very strong bond." Bear was dumbstruck by the observations while Roxie was holding back the urge to harm Watt. The doorknob clipped and the machoke entered the room.

"Thank you Mel, that's yours now." Mel came forward and presented a covered CD to Bear, whom carefully took it from the pokémon. Watt looked at his pocket watch, his purple shirt slipping down to reveal the tattoos along his arm.

"Oh look at the time, I need to open up shop soon." Watt stood up and went to the door, taking his cane with him. Bear and Roxie followed. When they reentered the changing room the club owner walked up to the rack of pokéballs.

"You know you should feel lucky Joseph, very few people ever enter this room. Would you like to meet some of the girls?" Bear was wondering why he kept on mentioning girls keeping in mind what Dominique stated back at Rulers Park.

"No thank you sir, I should just be…" Before Bear could finish Watt already had a pokéball open with a green leaf adorned sawsbuck before them.

"Daisy, put up for adoption as a deerling after a raid on a pokémon mill. I have a couple contacts in the Kalgooma Society for the Prevention of Pokemon Cruelty. I took her in I fed her, groomed her and looked after her. Now she's a favourite to the crowds. I'm thinking of hiring her out to public events. She's a good girl." The pokémon looked towards the detective and lucario giving a brief nod and what could be called a smile. Watt rubbed the middle of the sawsbuck's head. The grass/normal type leaning into his rough hand. Before Bear could say a word Watt had already opened another ball. Before them was another pokémon, with a red belly and dragon like appearance.

"Grace the garbite. Found her on the street nothing but skin and bone. Abandoned by her trainer with a shocking bootleg rare candy addiction. Did the same to her, a home, a job and a way to life. She's beautiful wouldn't you agree." Bear swore she saw a hint of blush on the dragon/ground pokémon as she looked towards the detective. He found it cute that she tried to hide it.

"Macauley will be waiting for us Joseph." Bear was snapped out of his thoughts by the telepathy of his lucario companion.

"I'm sorry Mr Watt but we will be on our way." Bear spoke up taking his eyes off the garbite. After a walk past the same room they got back to the front door. Just as Bear stepped outside he felt a hand on his arm.

"Hey Joseph." Watt handed out a slip of paper, which Bear took and examined. It was revealed to be a membership card for the Fur and Feather.

"Just a little present from me. Also when you see Macauley tell the bastard I said hi. Hope to see you around." He patted Bear on the shoulder. Bear came outside to summer heat and a queue already waiting. The machoke took his spot at the door, crossing his muscular arms in a typical bouncer style. Roxie and Bear made their way back to the car.

"Every time he mentioned Macauley his aura grew darker." Roxie informed, the air had gotten cooler and the street had quietened down. Bear let out a single word.

"Ok." They stepped into the car and took off back to Headquarters.

(BACK TO ME)

I had made a list of every single licence plate that crossed the outside camera's field of vision. Seeing the murder was premeditated the murderer could have been following Todd any time. I had the licence plate numbers of the major suspects on a post-it note. So far results were non-existent. I had also made a map from each location to the next. I took another sip of espresso coffee. I knew Bear would be away for a while but he should be back by now.

"Sergeant, I got the CCTV." I turned and Bear was in the doorway, placing a covered disk onto my desk.

"Very good, anything come up?" I took out the disk and slid it into the tray, I took another sip of lukewarm coffee.

"The man running the place is a man called Eric Watt. He said hi to you." That name. A name I had hoped would never come back into my life. The last person I would want to meet again. Eric Watt stirred a swirling mix of emotion in me. Raging anger and heart breaking betrayal was the two main ones. However a couple good and happy memories shone through the darkness. I removed the warm cup from my lips, gulping what was left in my mouth.

"Never heard of him." I continued displaying up the footage on my desktop, showing how it was four weeks of footage. Good definition cameras, something the Rebellious Magikarp lacked.

"He said he knew you. He called you a bastard." Bear's previous curiosity shown indicated he won't leave me alone until he gets an answer. I can also tell Bear gets easily distracted. I pivoted my chair around and faced him for another long story.

"I knew him and for him to call me a bastard is hypocritical. I became a detective at age twenty-six. I had two mentors, the second was a woman called Amy Rust. A great woman. She retired a while ago. However my first partner was a man called Eric Watt. Wore ridiculous suits, had expensive tastes and generally was a bit of an eccentric and flamboyant dick. But both the force and I respected him. He liked subordinates to call him sir. Also acted a bit too big for his boots. After a few years into our partnership he began to show me things. He showed me the secret to his expensive tastes. He was in league with shadowy figures in Team Chains and other gangs and organisations. He called it local philanthropy but was clearly just bribery. These people paid him his month's wage in a day. Just to look in the other direction. On top of that he revealed to me he was a poképhiliac. He invited me to try it which I obviously refused." I hoped that satisfied his hunger for answers so I turned back to my computer, but Bear pressed on.

"Then what?" I turned away from my computer monitor and looked him directly in the eyes. I continued my monologue and history of Watt and myself.

"I could only look away for so long. I had been in the force for years and I wasn't going to blow it because my mentor was a corrupt pokéfucker. I built up my case using a hidden camera and recording devices. In that time he was paying me bribes to cooperate. Preaching how if you're a cop. You can get any Arceus damn person wrapped around your finger. That's when I handed over my evidence." After my story I turned back, I clicked the file to see two sets of camera feed. One of outside and one of the inside area, I e-mailed the outside footage to Bear's computer.

"He was torn apart by the media, the force and the public. I never got him for the poképhilia charges due to a lack of evidence. Maybe he started the Fur and Feather to be his own personal brothel…Let's watch this footage." Bear returned to his cubicle with Roxie right behind him, the lucario sat in his lap as they looked at the computer screen.

I couldn't stop thinking of Watt as I observed the camera feed before me. I thought to a memory of when the court was in its last session. The jury read out the verdict of guilty. I was in the crowd looking on as curios muttering surrounded me. Watt stood up poker faced ready to be taken away by the court guards. He ignored the voices of the audience. The people who watched were officers and friends. No family members were present. As the guards walked Watt back to his court cell his eyes focused on me. Behind those thin framed glasses held the pupils of bitter betrayal. But he didn't go down hollering and struggling as some convicts chose to.

He simply gave me the wave he could give with his handcuffs on. The smile he held on his lips was something a ghost pokémon couldn't pull off. He slowly mouthed to me four words that held a lasting place in my memory.

'See you later Hamish'


	7. The Art of the Interrogation

Art of the Interrogation

I was doing fine, my coffee cup having been refilled about five times since we started watching the footage. The cup was a gift from parents for my thirty-fifth birthday. It was blue with the words 'CRIMINAL'S TEARS' in white. Another joke gift alongside my fedora. I still kept it at my desk. While I was unnaturally wide awake the same could not be said for Bear. The detective constable's eyes looked like they would shut anytime soon and his head drooped. Roxie appeared to be meditating cross-legged in a chair. The time was a quarter to midnight, spending the entire time watching the camera feed. The office was alive but far less compared to daytime. I paused the video and picked up my phone. Bear's desk phone rung.

"Detective Constable Bear speaking." He hadn't realised I was the one with the phone to my ear. His smooth voice was slow and tiredness saturated it.

"Bear if you want to go home you can, I can take it from here." His eyes lazily moved in their deep sockets to focus on me across the office. He struck out his hand with a lone finger angled in my direction.

"N-n-no Macauley I can do this, I…" He paused as if he just suffered a brain fart, common when tired. He rubbed his face, messing his neat black hair. He stuck his hand back out.

"I'm fine MacSergeant, I'm wide awake." From his slurring and little bit of shining drool, I could identify that to be a lie. Alongside the fact he couldn't decide to call me by my name or title. I turned up the authoritative tone in my voice.

"Bear…Go home and get some sleep. That's a command not a suggestion, brain functions are at their worse when tired." He mumbled what could be deciphered as an 'ok' then put the phone down. After that I went back to the video. I was going for every Friday night, trying to spot who, when and what was happening. Seeing I had the inside footage I was also trying to make a note on anyone who looked out of place. Like they weren't there to enjoy the Fur and Feather. I could also tell that Watt still hadn't lost his expensive taste. Also seemed to have an affinity for red and gold. As if he was pretending to be royalty. I also did recognise him amongst the crowed. Occasionally making an appearance on stage to give announcements. I did admire his cane however, maybe I should see about getting a more elaborate one. I was going around with a stainless steel and plastic pharmacy cane. The tattoos going up Watt's arms were new to me. So was the goatee. His fashion with suits hadn't changed. One Friday it was bold green, followed by bright red, one time sun yellow and the last Friday, silver. I looked up to see Bear slumped over his desk. Using my cane as a paddle I manoeuvred my way over to his desk. Still seated in my swivel chair. I took a deep exhale.

"GO HOME BEAR!" He shot up with a start, his eyes wide open, revealing their bloodshot nature. Roxie opening her eyes to the scene of her master rapidly blinking and staring at me.

"Yessergeant." He slowly packed up his things and stumbled his way out of the office. He swayed drunkly in his walk with Roxie having to support him. I wondered how long it took him to remember he has to ride home.

One fun activity I discovered during my nighttime analysis was a new and less strenuous way of getting around the office. It both stopped my leg from hurting and was faster than limping. I would take my feet of the ground then use my cane like a rowing oar. The only disadvantage to this was if I hit something. Which would be agony if my leg happened to be the impact zone.

Eventually even coffee couldn't sustain my conciseness, my eyes weighed and sleep was creeping up on me. It was 1:00 am when I left for home in a taxi.

 _THE FOLLOWING DAY_

Having coffee and scrambled eggs in my belly, I donned my fedora and was off into the world once again. When Gobb's car showed up something was already in the passenger. The window rolled down.

"Eevee!" Elvis stuck his head out the window, cutely smiling with his fluffy tail rapidly swishing back and forth.

"Hello." I softened my voice to talk to the cute brown pokémon. Lightly patting the eevee's head, Elvis leant into my hand and closed his eyes in contentment. As I opened the car door Elvis leapt into Gobb's lap. When I was buckled in, Elvis came back onto my lap.

"Eevee vee?" He asked going up on his hind legs to get face to face with me, his front legs resting against my chest. He tilted his with a curios glint in his small eyes.

"I think he's asking how are you." Gobb suggested, I rubbed Elvis' back and nodded.

"I'm going well. You've been helping ol' Gobb here catch crooks. Keeping everyone in line and being a good police pokémon?" I asked, Elvis excitedly nodded while repeating 'eevee' and other pokéspeech. His black eyes darted out the window, he took up position with his head looking outside. Wide eyed and absorbing the world around him.

"It's actually been quite quiet over the past few days. Handed out parking tickets, caught some defects and suspected someone of having R candy on them. Had to keep some kids from breaking out their pokémon and having battles in the street. Elvis's been fun to be around, he keeps me entertained…maybe I should join one of the pokémon units." A small smile went across his rough lips, behind his sunglasses I could see his eyes look at Elvis.

"What pokémon do you want?" I asked, he hummed in thought was silent. He then opened his mouth.

"Preferably an electric type, seeing they can be a walking taser." Gobb answered, being in the military it was guaranteed he had experience working alongside pokémon. But he never said who or what. I do remember he mentioned the name 'Knox' one time in a small, out of character rant. Without much else it was back at the station with a coffee in hand.

I went back to camera watching. Bear and Roxie hadn't arrived which I'm assuming was caused by the tiredness of last night. This was a thing that they would need to get used to as detectives. Investigations do not stop for nothing, not even the world's rotation. I was well known in the department for this. I remember sitting in my cubicle with a candle during power outages. Drinking stove brewed coffee and using my backup typewriter (I suggest everyone to get one). No one would be surprised if I was to get an office I would just move a cot into it. My two partners signed in late.

"I'm so sorry Macauley I just-" Bear came in with his button-up shirt untucked and crinkled, black bed hair. I cut him off from his apology.

"Don't bother constable, now get to work." I ordered, he scrambled to his cubicle. Roxie didn't show signs of tiredness and continued to take up her meditation. We got back into the swing of things. At some point we needed to interview John Booker and Phil Keys. It was better to do that soon while the memory is fresh. I stood up and hobbled for the exit.

"Bear tuck your shirt in and close your fly. We're going to another interview." Bear's cheeks and eyes flared up in embarrassment and he panicked and scrambled to zip up his fly. I turned to Roxie who had a subtle amused smile at Bear's attempt of fixing up his pants. I gave Roxie a simple instruction.

"If he falls asleep, hit him." Wasn't long to find Booker's location. We had to pull him out of work much to his managers dissatisfaction.

He was a tubby man with a well-sculpted beard and defined beer belly. He worked as a brick layer, still wearing his work uniform when we got him. He was very cooperative, answering all questions thrown his way. Terry Duke had already told him that Todd had been murdered. Booker also didn't have a clue on who would murder Todd. He thought Todd was just an average hard working bloke. Then the question was about his pokémon.

"So Mr Booker, do you own a pokémon by chance?" We were across the street from the construction sight we got him out of. He had his hard hat in his lap and still covered in dust.

"I own a poliwrath, a rattata and a paras. You want to take a look." Booker took out his phone and browsed through it, revealing a picture. It was him kneeling with a hand around the fighting/water type pokémon with a lake in the background. He also had a group photo with each of his pokémon surrounding him. Like a family photo.

"Mr Booker, why do you own pokémon?" I was the one asking these questions, taking a sip of a coffee in between each sentence.

"I take part in the odd battle or two. I didn't manage to be a trainer as a child but hey. Better late than never am I right?" He said shrugging with an unsure smile, I looked to my left to see Bear still writing all this down. Subordinate partners are great dictaphones. I was lucky seeing Watt could recite everything he heard and make a perfect transcript with his memory alone.

"And what moves does your poliwrath know?" I asked. I heard a yelp from my left as Roxie pushed her paw spike into Bears thigh. He tapped Roxie on top of nose, Roxie responded by sticking her tongue at Bear.

"Quite a few officer, I've tried to make him diverse." He explained his poliwrath had a whole slew of moves, one of those included dynamic punch.

"Also what were you doing on the night of Todd's murder?" He stroked his beard and looked at the floor in thought. A few seconds passed before he looked up at us.

"Terry drove me home, I just went to bed…that's it…I think." He said, I stood up and outstretched my hand. He took it.

"Thank you for your time Mr Booker, have a good day." I said, we bid our fair wells and got back to the car. We went off to go find Phil Keys.

Phil worked as an IT technician at a large company in the centre of Kalgooma city. It was in a large office block going up twenty floors of brown marble and tinted windows. Our tour was stopped at the front desk.

"OK he will be down in about thirty minutes." Even with my badge presented the receptionist wouldn't budge for time. She looked surprisingly avid for someone who spends their days looking at the same room. The foyer that was white and black marble. It had its own coffee shop and a set of elevators along with the usual furniture of a reception area.

"We can just go up and talk to him? It's no hassle." I tried to persuade her again, I was leaning on the counter with my elbow.

"I'm sorry sir but company policy doesn't allow outsiders in without an appointment first." We relented back to the reception area. Phil Keys worked in a company that specialised in the development and coding of poké balls. Kalgooma does have a couple apricorn plantations along with several factories. Our plan of attack was to now wait around for Keys to come out. I prefer the people I interview and interrogate to be unaware. Time from being asked to the actual interview is time that can be spent trying to get a fake alibi. We went to the building's cafe.

"This is extortion." Bear responded to the prices of the food and coffee. Instead we went to a cafe around the corner for lunch.

After the food and another coffee we got back to waiting for Keys. He did eventually appear wearing standard office attire. He was quite a skinny man with short curly hair and weak chin. His short sleeved office shirt looked a size too big for him, with his arms protruding like twigs. The first stages of the interview went normally, he also knew that Todd was deceased. When I told him some of the circumstances of the murder his eyebrows furrowed and his lips raised.

"What do you mean he was a closet poképhile?" He demanded, grimacing with disgust. This was after I mentioned he had hired a pokémon escort.

"The evidence doesn't lie Mr Keys. Now do you own a pokémon by chance?" I asked, he shook his head.

"Nah, always hated the damn critters. Ever since I was seven. I was out walking in the bushland with my brother when I was attacked by a mightyena. Thing nearly killed me." He lifted a portion of his shirt up to show a couple scars around his stomach.

"But you work at a company that programs poké balls?" Bear asked, Keys tucked his shirt back in while shrugging.

"Hey, pays good enough and work's not that hard." He responded. I asked another question.

"What were you doing on the night of Todd's death?" He paused as he looked to the corner of his eye and held his mouth open.

"Terry dropped me at my home, my boyfriend can confirm if you wish." He seemed to be telling the truth. I stood up and outstretched my open palm, I believed him.

"No, that's fine, thank you for your time Mr Keys." We said our good buys and got back in the car, time for a discussion between fellow detectives.

Booker and Keys seemed like red herrings. Neither of them had a motive nor they had no knowledge that Todd was a closet poképhile. Duke also didn't have a motive and didn't appear to be hiding much else. The two most likely suspects I could think of was Randall and Peggy. Randall's motive is quite simple, revenge. But it still didn't add up, especially when he seems apologetic for his past crimes. Many one-time criminals prioritise not going back to prison. This murder looked pre-planned but it seemed that whoever committed it was passionate. Another factor was unless Randall stalked Todd for a while, he didn't even know where he lived.

Peggy was looking more likely by the second. A possible scenario was that she found out about the Fur and Feather visits and was furious. But she hid it for a while and planned it out. Almost as if she wanted to catch Todd in the act. When the time comes, she follows Todd and Duke to the Mirror Motel. She waits for them to go inside then dons her clear raincoat and takes the knife. She enters the room and uses her nidoqueen to dynamic punch the lopunny. This confused the pokémon so they could drag it out. The tuft of brown hair would be from the pulling the lopunny's fur. Peggy then lunges forward and stabs Todd six times in a fit of anger. The lopunny runs in the confusion after effects of the hit. Afterwards they leave the corpse on the ground.

"The fucking door!" I shouted banging armrest of the car, startling both Roxie and Bear as they both turned and looked at me.

"What sergeant?" I turned to face the detective constable as I stamped my cane on the bottom of the car.

"Bear the FUCKING DOOR was unlocked when the cleaning lady found it. Are we sure Todd left it open?" I continued, Bear responded.

"As I said before, maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe Todd just happened to leave the door open for Peggy or Randall." I lifted up my fedora and wiped my forehead. I slumped back in the car seat, my head angled towards the window. I observed the usual inner city street activity, people, cars and stores. One was a large pokémart, open seven days a week, twelve hours a day. An idea struck my mind like a truck hits a feraligatr.

"He did." I said out loud. I turned back to Bear and Roxie still waiting for me to elaborate.

"Terry said that Todd had a habit of leaving doors open. Liars tend to make broad statements not small details like that. So even what most he said back then was a lie that must have been true." I explained. Bear scribbled this down desperately and I plugged coordinates into the GPS.

"Let's head to 12 Box Route." Bear sped off into that direction. When we reached the set of flats we went up to floor two, apartment five. We knocked on the door and it opened up to a woman.

"Excuse me Peggy Koch. We wish to have a chat with you." She brought her pokémon with her, we asked she carry it in the ball. She actually didn't have to come, we couldn't force her unless we arrested her. A lot of this accusation was guess work, but sometimes you need to take a plunge.

"How has your day been Miss Koch?" Bear light heartedly asked trying to break the dense silence. Even when Miss Koch murmured 'fine' the attempt was largely unsuccessful. Her eyes looked out the car window, but never fixed on anything. She firmly held the poké ball in her hands, toying with it. Roxie sat on the opposite side of the car keeping watch of Peggy. Peggy kept close together, her legs together and arms in her lap. Like an open fetal position.

When we reached the station we took her to the interrogation room, we requested we take her pokémon off her. She complied. The stewing process began anew.

"You want to play good cop or bad cop?" I asked, Peggy's eyes didn't move. Looking forward fixed on nothing at all. She kept her hands closed on the desk with a dour face and still legs.

"What do you recommend?" Bear responded looking in my direction.

"It's funner to play bad cop but you get answers as good cop…I'll play bad cop." I overrode my own question. As usual good cop goes in first. Bear did the same as he did last time, fixing himself a cup of tea with a glass of water for Peggy. Roxie held the door for him.

"Good evening Miss Koch would you like a glass of water?" He sat down, the camera was recording the voice clearly. She wordlessly took the water and took a shy sip.

"So Miss Koch how's work going?" Bear did the same as Duke, asking a very basic small talk question with a friendly smile.

"Fine." Was not what we needed, Peggy's voice was succinct, monotone and flat.

The rest of Bear's interrogation process went the same as the first question. She would only answer in one or two word responses. It was effective as banging a head against a brick wall and expecting it to break. Bear attempted a change of approach.

"Your nidoquen appears healthy. Where did you get her from?" Bear asked, the mood in Peggy's voice lightened to be more friendly.

"Got her from the wild when she was just a Nidoran. I named her Sadie. I was a trainer for a while, I had a large collection of pokémon. She was the centre of my team. When I grew out of being a trainer I let all my other pokémon free. But something between us was inseparable. I kept her as a pet and best friend." Her nostalgic smile faded to a frown following the end of her sentence.

Her eyes staying fixed on the non-existent object point in the room. Bear began looking at me through the mirror occasionally as if trying to get some advice from me. Something I couldn't give him through the two-way mirror. Roxie sat with me, scarlet eyes being fixed on Bear the entire time.

"Thank you Miss Koch." He stood up and left the interrogation room, when he came next to me Roxie affectionally leant on his leg. He responded by rubbing her forehead. Peggy didn't change her body language even when Bear left.

"Let's meet back here in five minutes." I went and got another coffee.

When five minutes had passed I returned with a hot coffee in hand. Bear came back with Roxie at his side. Peggy hadn't moved from her spot despite nothing stopping her getting up and stretching her legs. I limped to the door and threw it open without a word. Peggy's eyes stopped being vacant and stared at my own. I hobbled until I sat in the chair opposite her. Placing my cane between my legs I leant on it as I stared her down. I counted ten long, awkward seconds. Not blinking as I focused on Miss Koch's eyes. I reached into my pocket. Taking out the picture that Todd's mother gave me of her deceased son. I gently placed it onto the desk and manoeuvred it to face her. With two of my fingers I slid it to the centre of the table. Her eyes followed the picture the entire time.

"Why did you do it Peggy Koch?" I said calmly, putting exaggeration of the word 'why'. She didn't move, her stare darting between the picture and my eyes. After a brief silence I continued.

"Was it money? Was it drugs?…Was he seeing another girl?" I asked in a hinting sarcastic tone, her face didn't shift.

"Many other girls of the non-human variety…some pokémon perhaps?" Her knuckles whitened and her eyes darted away from me, looking at the ground to her left. I leant across the desk, tapping two fingers on the picture of Todd.

"You said he loved you?" I stated and leant back in my chair. Her hands moved from her fist to her sides. I got up and limped around the table until I stood over her. Far away enough however to not look like intimidation. She visibly looked nervous, sweat moving its way down her forehead.

"Can you please tell me what you did of Friday?" She focused on the picture and leant back in her chair with her hands between her legs. I followed her in leaning. Finally her mouth opened.

"I waited until I got the text message he was staying at Terry's place. I got in my car and followed them from the pub to the club." She stopped, and looked at the ground, her face not contorting. I pressed on with my questions.

"Then what?"

"I waited, seeing him, the poké ball and Terry come out. I Followed them to the Mirror Motel…I parked a short distance away." Her face was still blank as she was confessing this. But she stopped again so I had to encourage her.

"And then?"

"Got the knife, and the raincoat. I let my nidoqueen, Sadie out of her ball." I could see her eyes becoming moist. I pressed on.

"And then?"

"Went up to the room, walked in to see him with a lopunny in his lap." Her flat hands tensed into fists. But went loose soon after.

"And then?"

"…I killed him." A pair of tears had formed on her face, running down her cheeks and going past her jawline. Leaving a trail that shone in the bright light of the interrogation room. She finally looked me in the eyes.

"I got Sadie to grab the whore and give her a dynamic punch so she wouldn't remember. Bitch deserved it to touch my Todd…I drove off while Sadie went and dumped the evidence in a bin, I picked her up afterward…He said he loved me." She wiped her face with her sleeves and continued to sit in silence. I looked at the two way mirror and nodded to a non-visible detective and his lucario.

"Peggy Koch you are now under arrest for the murder of Todd Floyd. You don't have to say anything but anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law. Bear take her to a holding cell." Bear and Roxie came through the door. Bear went for his handcuffs. I shook my head and he got the memo.

"What will happen to Sadie?" She asked with a newfound sense of urgency. Bear beat me to the explanation.

"The fact your nidoqueen was used as an accessory to murder, we will have her removed from your possession. She will handed over to the KSPPC, which will perform a psychological assessment. If found in a stable mental condition she will be put up for adoption. If she isn't adopted in the first four months she will be released into the wild. If the assessment shows the pokémon is psychologically unstable she will be put down." He said as if he was reading the procedure off by heart. Peggy nodded in agreement wiping more tears off her cheeks. She stood up and we walked as a group to the holding cells. I swiped the poké ball holding the accessory of murder. When we reached one of the empty cells Peggy went in first. I presented the ball to her.

"Miss Koch I prefer that you deliver the news to Sadie. She might take it better that way." From service in the force I understood how loyal a pokémon could be to its trainer. I remember when I was the first responder to a man who suffered a heart attack. His pokémon protected his chilling corpse with his life. We called in KSPPC to handle it which they did successfully. I pointed at Bear and Roxie.

"You two be on your toes, I'll be outside." Seeing I was in no condition to do anything physical I stood in the hallway. Roxie looked calm but I could tell she was ready to pounce at any minute. Bear placed his hand on the grip of his pistol. Peggy released the pokémon in a flash of red light.

"Hello Sadie." Peggy said as they she rubbed the head of the nidoqueen. Sadie in return tilted her head and grunted as if she knew something was wrong.

"Now listen to me. I…need to go away for a while ok." As soon as the words left Peggy's lips I could see the tears forming in the corners of Sadie's eyes. Peggy placed her hands on the nidoqueen's shoulders.

"They know what happened ok. All I ask is that you do whatever they tell you. They will look after you. Please Sadie." The two of them embraced with Sadie bawling her eyes out onto Peggy's shoulder. Peggy rubbed the back of the pokémon, making sure to miss the spines. This continued for some time. We were in no rush so we let them comfort each other. I had to feel sorry for the nidoqueen. She had the least say in this whole affair, being ordered to kill and suffering because of it. Suddenly the blubbering of Sadie stopped and I could hear her whisper into Peggy's ear. Roxie's ears perked. Her aura readers twitched. Her scarlet eyes narrowed.

"GET BACK!" She telepathically ordered while screaming in poké speech. The constable and lucario rapidly responded with both of them diving out the room as the nidoqueen roared in anger.

Bear drew his pistol while Roxie got up into a combat stance. I reached for my handgun and remembered I didn't have my pistol on me. The footsteps of an approaching officer echoed down the hallway. Meanwhile the nidoqueen stood territorially in front of her trainer. Peggy wailed and begged for Sadie to calm down to no avail. I stood silently not because I couldn't react but I wished to view how Bear handled a situation like this. A pokémon ready to die for its master.

"Ma'am control your pokémon." Bear repeated, Peggy placed her hand on Sadie's shoulder with the pokémon ignoring it.

"PLEASE SADIE! STOP IT PLEASE!" Peggy chocked through hysteric tears. I could hear footsteps coming closer and saw a lone constable approaching the situation.

"We have a 247, need backup." I ordered. The lone constable slid to a stop and darted off. 247 is the call sign for pokémon attacks. Even as Sadie roared what I assumed threats she still had tears streaming down her face.

"How about we just calm down." Bear lowered his voice. Sadie continued to growl, not flinching to the fact she was facing down Bear's gun. Roxie continued her stance.

"SADIE PLEASE! YOU'RE NOT MAKING THIS BETTER!" Peggy screamed again at her distressed companion. Bear began to lower his gun, slowly putting it into its holster. I could tell what was going to happen next.

"Now how about we just calm down and ROXIE AURA SPHERE!" Bear ducked to the side as Roxie held her paws together and released a blue ball of energy. Hitting Sadie and causing her to be knocked back with a small explosion.

"METAL CLAW HER NOW!" The metal spikes on Roxie's paws extended into three pronged claws. She dived forward and dug them into the nidoqueen in three swift swipes. Blood settled on the cell floor. Sadie responded by slashing at Roxie with her own claws. The lucario only took a single hit before ducking under the second strike.

"ROXIE CLOSE COMBAT!" Bear ordered, Roxie leapt off one of the cell walls. Landing a powerful kick to Sadie's temple.

It was then followed up by a series of hard and fast punches and kicks. Her paws connecting with Sadie's head, chest and belly. Roxie finished with a swift and brutal uppercut. The nidoqueen fell back unresponsive. I pushed past Bear and quickly limped to Peggy. Ripping the poké ball out of her trembling hands. I proceeded to ditch it at the nidoqueen. A flash of light and Sadie was in her ball. The cell was quiet, with heavy breathing coming from Peggy and Bear. Roxie looked back calmly and placed her hand where Sadie slashed her and sniffed it. She looked at Bear and I assumed said something in telepathy.

"Right." Bear said, I chucked him the poké ball, he fumbled and eventually caught it. Footsteps were approaching.

"WHERES THE POKÉMON?" Appearing in the doorway appeared to be three constables and a houndour. One of the constables having stun baton, another carrying a service pistol and one was carrying a…

"What are you going to do with that?" I pointed at the constable at the back who was wielding a pump-action shotgun.

"Uh…shoot the pokémon with it." He unsurely said as he shrugged. I wiped my forehead and glared at him in the eyes.

"Do you want everyone here to go deaf? Put that back." He slowly lowered it until the barrel was pointing at the floor. Relating to that I was partially deaf in my left ear from gunshots.

"Will do…sir." He was trying to guess my rank, and just went with the ubiquitous 'sir'. Even though I didn't like to be called sir. Reminded me when Watt wanted me to call him sir. The constable went off back down the corridor.

After the incident we had Peggy moved to a cell that didn't have blood on the floor. The event would be noted on Sadie's report that would be sent to the KSPPC along with herself. All we had to do to wrap up this case was file the evidence and finish up some paperwork.

"Was that excessive force Macauley?" Bear asked as we were moving back to the Major Crime Squad cubicles. Bear gave Roxie a spray of some healing potion and she gave him a lick as thanks.

"If I was in that room I would have just shot her." I responded. I try to think of I don't hate pokémon, I'm very cautious around them. I feel I have a right to be.

"Ok now grab your stuff and move it to that cubicle." I pointed to the desk that was across from mine.

"Doesn't another detective work there?" Bear asked, said detective did but he wasn't here right now. He was a friend of mine.

"I asked if he wanted a window position and he was happy with it, so it's not his desk anymore." I had called him earlier, he didn't mind moving. Also I did outrank him so he didn't have much of a choice.

"I like the window." Bear protested, I pointed at him.

"I like the coffee machine, and I'm your superior. Now grab your stuff we got paperwork to fill out." I limped over and sat at my desk a I got up a template for a final report. After ignoring the back and forth trips of from his new desk to the old he sat down opposite me.

"What are your thoughts on solving your first murder?" I asked. Roxie had sat down in a meditation position nearby, lowering her head and shutting her eyes. Bear looked over at her and smiled.

"It's good." Looking at the upcoming constable and his quiet scarred lucario. I had a proud feeling going through me.

I felt like this partnership will last a while.

Then I remembered I had to drop off Dominique's pay soon.

* * *

+++++  
This is Sabarashīdesu

Operation Rainbow is a go.

Await further instructions.


End file.
